My Time With Mistress
by RagingRider
Summary: Louise is soon due to leave for her journey, and her butler's going to help her anyway he can before she leaves. From their daily lifestyles to their history together, this story contains everything to know about them. Not a oneshot. I will be uploading new chapters from time to time. If you're tired of reading too many lemons/oneshots, this may be for you.
1. The Mansion & Members

"Hmmm...I always look forward to days like this, but why do I always hate it in the end? So much for the 'City of Joy'."

It was always like this for Louise every Sunday, the day of rest. Unlike most people, she did not languor about her abode, doing whatever she pleased on a whim-she grew out of that habit a long time ago. She sat upright on her red bed and rubbed her eyes clear of non-existent drowsiness. But just for today, she attempted to perform the ritual known to most as "napping", but after an hour of relaxing and fidgeting in the thick folds of cloth, she deemed it a failure.

She slipped into her cotton slippers, and blindly made her way through the hall. The mansion was extravagant but devoid of buzzing pests, thanks to the efforts of her housemaid. Even when she left the household for a brief vacation for the present, there was not a soul in sight. All the lint and hair was pinched out of the sleek furniture, glistening desks and tables reflected her blank countenance, and the numerous windows let in strips of white light that brightened up the entire hallway.

Despite all this, the mansion did not appear comfortable at all; only disturbing.

Louise was a mature girl, almost eighteen and ready to leave her house for her own Pokemon journey. Her parents initially refused to send her out of the house on her sixteenth birthday, the age most recommended for a child to journey the Sinnoh region. Although the required age was only fourteen in Sinnoh, children aiming to be trainers were suggested they attend the Jubilife Trainer Academy after graduating from the local Trainers' School to further tune their skills. Most of them graduated at fourteen years of age, and received their Trainer certifications and Trainer Cards, but for those desiring further education and experience, the Academy was the easiest solution.

"It's not like I'm not good at being a trainer. I came out third in the Academy, didn't I?."

She crossed her arms in defiance at the reminder. Her parents made a bet with her that if she graduated at the top of the Academy rankings, she would be allowed to leave the house for her eagerly-awaited journey, along with financial support. But if she placed any lower, she would not leave until she had come of age. She was sixteen at the time, and was already famous in her cram school as one of the best. She was even hired by others as private tutors (if she had the time to cope with her tutors), making a bit of money in the studying process.

On the exam week, he easily aced the theory segment, having had various tutors educate her, topics ranging from the berries of Sinnoh to the geography of the region.

Unfortunately, she had the most trouble in the practical segment. The assignment was simple: hatch and raise a bug-type Pokemon, in her case, a Caterpie, from its egg and evolve it into its final form within the two-week period of the exams. At the final day, a Pokemon battle between classmates would be the final grading criteria. The fact most bug-types evolved and matured so quickly helped, but a Butterfree born with a wing scratched from his Metapod shell was not something she had read about in her text.

After her report was mailed to the mansion, her parents were at the very most impressed; even with a defect Pokemon, she managed to make it to the semi-finals of the tournament. After the loss, she continuously deprecated herself over her slight hesitations and wrong predictions of the opponent's moves, and it cost her 1500 PokeDollars worth of ice cream to ease her depression.

Her parents were a different story. They were glad that she did not have to leave so early, but at the same time peeved by such a minute detail. The only blessing Louise received from them was that they didn't confiscate her license.

At the thought, she slipped her hands under her black dress shirt's inner pocket, and pulled out the plastic card. She smirked at her portrait giving an awkward smile, but even more at her neck-length hair. She prepared her hair the day before the photo shoot so that it was practically blinding to anyone excessively ogling her. She and her clique of friends always had a nice laugh whenever the eyes of boys widened when they passed by the halls. She never deemed herself as beautiful, and explained to everyone she only wanted to look good for the camera.

But now it's been almost two years since that day, and she's been letting her hair grow down to her lower back like black silk. There was no purpose getting it cut yet; after a few more years, her current trainer card would expire and she would be ready to pose for a new one. Until then, she had spent the last two years mostly lounging about the house's impressive garden and taking care of her Butterfree's grandchildren, or volunteering around the city, usually at Trainers' School for the nostalgia and meeting the next generation of Trainers.

Louise belonged to the Garniers, a family famous for conceiving exceptional Coordinators in the Sinnoh region. One of them was her father, Bradley Garnier, who competed and won the Grand Festivals of Kanto, Hoenn and Sinnoh during his youth and bachelor life. When he married her mother, a fellow Coordinator, she convinced him to let her daughter choose her own path as a Trainer instead of pressuring her to join Contests.

"Ah, here they are." She unknowingly found herself in the affectionately labelled "Trophy Room", which was more or less a corner of the main hall that prostrated the Garniers' proud achievements. Louise had a small glass case dedicated for her own deeds, filled with wooden plaques, brass medals, and most recently, her graduation diploma at Jubilife Academy.

Her attention, however, was attracted at a photo, displaying her father and mother's last attendance at the Hoenn Grand Festival, as well as their last Contest. It showed Bradley handing the elaborate 30-pound bronze trophy with his knee bent to his opponent, Seras Monde. She came from Snowpoint City originally as a Pokemon Trainer and somehow made her way through to the finals of the Grand Festival. Of course, she did not win against Garnier; she knew him too well to think she had a chance at beating a Contest veteran.

When the award was presented by residential celebrity Wallace, she promptly took it out of his hands, waded through the offended glares of the audience, and boldly relinquished the trophy over to Garnier herself. While her stature as she did so seemed forceful, her voice revealed her full respect towards her opponent.

Some called her move audacious, other simply insulting to the figurehead of Coordinators everywhere. For Garnier, however, it was the catalyst that cemented their love for each other at last, and the photo not only demonstrated his own respect and love for her, but doubled as an impromptu confession. Finishing his declaration of devotion with a hug, the entire audience, starting with Wallace, commenced a ten minute-long standing ovation to the new couple.

Sure, this was retold by both Bradley and Seras as what happened that day, and they may have stretched the truth by a slight, but she always preferred the dramatic version she grew up with.

"Mom... all I want is to be like you." Louise gingerly opened the glass case housing the bronze cup above a rainbow of ribbons and reached to grasp the photo case. Simply touching the glass made her feel weak in her legs.

"Please don't touch, miss."

Louise's throat was instantly dried by her involuntary gasp. Her hand, along with her whole body, tensed at the sudden sound, dangerously tipping the picture frame from balance, but still upright. She raised her free left hand to her mouth in shock, but it formed a twitching fist in a moment.

"How many times do I have to tell you, _to_ _stop sneaking up on me like that?!_" She quickly rounded on the speaker, her fist shaking in exasperation.

The speaker wore a simple black waistcoat that contrasted with his white and green body, although it made way for a large red horn in his chest and out the back. He wore a pair of white silk gloves that blended perfectly with his colour scheme. His white face complemented his emerald and teal hair, although his rounded hips stood out from his otherwise human appearance.

"Why do you insist on surprising me like that? No, tell me this first: _how_ do you do it?" Louise continued her barrage of complaints, and the Pokemon returned a mischievous smirk.

"It's simple, really-just don't talk aloud, miss." Garcia's answer, while legitimate, only frustrated her even more. The monotony in his voice was, as Louise commented in a previous meeting, his biggest flaw. The Garnier fortune left her with a substantial amount of money, which she received in monthly allowances from the bank until she was of age, when she would have full rein over her inheritance. This allowed her to purchase one the first Pokemon translators when she turned seventeen, resembling a small black button. Not surprisingly, the translators were quickly removed from stock for its inefficiency and poor practicality. The device was attached to the Pokemon's throat, transforming his grunts and growls into English. This however, did not have the added benefit of adding liveliness to his voice.

"Couldn't you have just called me with telepathy?"

The Gallade pointed one of his stubby fingers to his neck. As a Pokemon who served Louise for the last year, he had grown used to her gripes. "If I did that, your present would not serve much purpose, miss. Besides, you are familiar with my conditioning."

Louise growled at the lengthy response. It was evident he had indeed been spending too much in the library again, delving himself in old literature. "You've been spending time at the library again, haven't you?"

The Gallade permitted a miniscule curve to his lips. "I deduced you could identify my prior location utilising my scent, laced with aging paper and dust, miss. You have informed me that you wished to remain alone, so I took my liberty to study in the library, as you have answered."

Louise gave a loud sigh. Garcia spent the last two years studying English to better serve her, but that didn't mean she had to like it. The translator would ignore most of his butchered linguistics, but translate the words he could not completely pronounce, often resulting in repetition and mistranslations.

"Then why are you out now?" Louise smiled at him, thankful for this change in environment; she thought as a Pokemon, he would prefer training over reading, but his disposition towards the mansion library was a quality she never predicted. "Tired of the library already?"

"Not at all, miss!" Garcia's lips grew wider and his whole face seemed to shine as a result "I was merely distracted by the prolonged period of silence accompanying your request, and was on my way to visit. Then, I sighted you fidgeting with the trophy case I polished yester-"

"I was doing no such thing!" Louise interrupted in vexation, raising a wagging finger as she did. That verbal tic of his! How many times had she insisted that he call her Louise or even Garnier! It infuriated her to no ends, and he continued to address her by that title after so many months of insistences! "I was just trying to take the photo out to take a closer look!"

The Gallades eyes grew wide. They narrowed when he realized her intent. "Ahh, your parents. I understand."

At the mention of the word, Louise frowned at his condescend; the last thing she wanted was pity, especially from her unofficial butler. "I don't mind your sympathy, but I don't think you do. You don't even know your _own_ parents, do you?"

As soon as she said it, she felt like slapping herself, and she turned her head to the photo again in self-loathing. The words escaped from her throat without her permission, and she was digging her nails into her palms.

"You are right, miss." Gallade uttered after a while, bowing his head as he did. "I tried to comfort you when I had no understanding of your situation. I apologize."

"No!" Louise objected, much louder than necessary. "I should be the one saying sorry! I'm...sorry." Her face grew hot as she uttered the phrase.

Blinking a few times in mild surprise, Garcia let a few awkward seconds pass as Louise looked everywhere but him. He let out an unnoticeable smirk. It was true that he was born without knowledge of his parents, but he did not mind. After all, how can you be sad about things you never had control over or knew anything about? That was the creed the Gallade lived by, and it was doing him well. It allowed him to have a smile on his face whenever he worked and grow up with simplest desires and pleasures of life.

"Do not worry, miss." He bowed again, trying to show not contempt but respect. "During the entire time under your employment, I have never regarded your remarks as of malicious intent. I only hoped that during your time of languor, you would have used it in a more..._efficient_ manner, than just reviewing your notes."

"Looks who's talking! There's nothing wrong with studying!" Louise, while usually a determined character, could quickly change priorities when needed. Such a quality was evident when she rid her heart of regret from her earlier comment. "Besides, I do volunteer work almost everyday! Oh!" She pulled back her left sleeve and read the time-12:20 p.m.

She let out a small gasp at her misrecognition of the time. "Damn it all! I'm supposed to be at the Trainers' School! I promised Candice I would meet her there to help her!"

As mentioned before, Louise's favourite pastime tended to be volunteering in the local school, from janitorial duties to substituting for absent teachers. Today was different, however. Candice, a popular teacher from the northern Snowpoint City's Trainer School was visiting Jubilife for a class demonstration. It wasn't the first time she came down south, and she and Louise became quick friends during their first encounter.

Before Garcia could ask anything, he found himself being dragged by the hand.

"Um, miss?"

"No time, Garcia! I needed to have left ten minutes ago!"

Louise was a fit girl, with a healthy and well-proportioned body. Nevertheless, Garcia's stoic look was broke as his feet clumsily copied Louise's. "Um...but what is the reason for which I must go?"

"You're going to help me with Candice's demonstration! Now come on!"

Without even looking at them, she fit herself into her black sneakers and attempted to iron her dress shirt with her hands. Garcia, having had no article of clothing other than his waistcoat and dusty gloves, had no motive to prepare himself as eagerly as she.

"Now come on! We need to run for it!"

It was times like this when he desired to be more fluent in English, but even with the aptitude, he never could object to his mistress's wishes. Whenever he saw her with such vigor, he doubted anyone could. Comprehending her rush for speed, he pushed the door open for Louise, who muttered a quick "Thank you!"

Garcia couldn't help but smile a bit. "You are most welcome, miss. But now, we must be running."

And run they did.

...

**For anyone that had the patience to read through this, thank you for your tentativeness! If you've ever read my other stories (****Who Are You?**** And ****Run with Me****), you would have noticed the writing style's a bit different from them. **

**This may sound nerdy, but thanks to my English tutor, I've been reading a lot of 19-20****th**** century text (think ****A Christmas Carol**** and ****Tom Sawyer****, except a lot more wordy), and I'm trying to imitate those text purely for my amusement.**

**Obviously this would not appeal to most readers of ****. But regardless, for anyone that's read my stories before, please give this a review of your thoughts. As I've written in the summary, this is a short summary, and the lemon's not going to be written for a while, at least not until I've written the characters' backstory.**

**Stay tuned for future updates, and keep on reading! (It's not like you're going to read anything out of BOOKS in your free time!)**


	2. The School & Gym Leader

"Hurry up! We can still make it if we keep this up!"

The young woman would have blend into the atmosphere inconspicuously if she did not look like she was being chased by a wild Gallade. While some onlookers appeared scandalized by the duo, most of them merely grinned and persuaded the skeptics from calling the police or withdrawing their own Pokemon to assist the lady. After explaining the popular Garnier and her...unique butler, the audience nodded in comprehension and continued to survey the scene.

The Gallade from earlier had no problem jogging behind his lady, who was sprinting as strong as her long legs would take her. Both were in such a rush none of the crowd could catch a glimpse under her knee high skirt. Garcia saw her heavy pants and, not nearly as exhausted, took the moment beside her to egg her onward.

"Are you getting any tired, miss?"

Louise did not turn his way, but focused on the street. Another block and the school would be visible. "Of course! Don't get all humble on me now!" While she normally appreciated her butler's caring attitude, she was growing more and more frustrated by running non-stop.

Garcia smiled at her perkiness. It always lifted his heart when he saw her endeavoring in any subject. He often believed he gained his inclination towards studying English from admiring her in her own studies as a Trainer. "Then I only recommend you proceed at the same pace. Any slower and you may give your admirers a view under your skirt."

"Gah!" Her shoes' rubber gave away while trying to keep their wearer upright, and Louise gave her surroundings a quick skim. Confirming that she was running too fast to even make out the faces of those staring, she snarled at the Gallade for his provocation. "What the hell! Are you trying to make me trip?"

He refrained from laughing; an act of perversion against his mistress led to grave consequences, especially if the perpetrator acted on purpose. The skirt was not particularly attractive, but for the male viewers, it was what was under the folds that mattered. If anyone caught so much as a glance at the cotton lace, he would no doubt brandish his arm beside their throat. However, due to the desperation of the situation, he could not hold her back due to a brief display of underwear. "Not at all, miss! Just trying to keep you conscious of your environment. Speaking of which, we have arrived."

"Damn!" Louise instantaneously turned her feet to their side, halting her feet and momentum while kicking up an impressive dust cloud. Behind her, Garcia mimicked her method, producing only a miniscule updraft. After regaining her posture, she rested her arms on her knees to catch her breath.

"You know...you could have...told me..."

Garcia tried to make himself appear humble and in error while hiding a smirk. "I apologize for my indolence in warning you of our approaching objective. I have no excuse for my disobedience."

His response fell on deaf ears, and only gave Louise enough time to lower her heartbeats and gaze upon the building before the pair. It was a simple institution, but grand in scale. Grey bricks reinforced the structure while red shingles shielded it from natural causes such as rain, snow, and the occasional airborne Pokemon excrements. Thankfully, the school was hygienically maintained thanks to its janitors and of course, their volunteers.

Upon closer inspection, Louise hummed in interest as the building appeared even more immaculate than before. To someone who spent so much time in it and associating herself with its faculty, such a detail was obvious. But when even Garcia could notice a visible sheen on the brick, he was inquisitive at the effort put into it.

"The school has an even more distinct cleanliness to it. Surely due to appear inviting to the Gym Leader visiting today?"

Before he could question further to the air, he was dragged by an impatient Louise through the main doors. "Yes, now come on! We've only barely made it, and I need to meet with Candice before class starts!" She was tired of running the distance instead of calmly walking like she planned prior to napping, but frustrated at Garcia for not realizing her fatigue. As a Pokemon, especially one designed to personally serve the Garniers, he was kept in peak physical conditions. Ordinary humans like Louise, who spent most of her time indoors, could not possibly keep up with them in terms of physicality, and times like this made her envy Garcia and Pokemon in general for their vitality.

Freeing himself from Louise's hold after some time passed, Garcia stalked behind while absorbing the scenery. Green lockers decorated one side of the wide hallway, while the other side was covered with a few number of equally green doors leading to immense classrooms. For such a colossal building, it had a simple outline; the ground floor held the classrooms and the various offices for the staff, while the practical elements of the curriculum were held outside, where the battlefields were.

There were however, hall monitors in the corridors. They were teachers on stand-by that guarded the halls of juvenile truants while patiently anticipating the current period to finish. The school was, as mentioned before, were large, so classes and the number of students was proportionate. However, that also meant the rebellious ones were more likely to cause mischief either in the classrooms or post-school, and often both. These wardens were armed with Pokeballs by their belts, ready to restore order to the school, often through a Pokemon battle with little regulation. Granted, these were risky as they carried the dangers of collateral and property damage, but the one thing the Trainers' School was known for was its discipline.

That acknowledged, the teachers' countenances reflected their surprise and relief when they saw the couple enter the hall. Her Garnier lineage was popular topic in Jubilife City. The news of her being a graduate from the very school was an added bonus; when needed a school for their children to attend, parents were recommended the same institution Louise Garnier graduated from with top marks. Most of her merits were due to her own hard work she was disciplined by her parents to maintain, but this side of the story was hidden from the public eye as to attract more potential students.

"Louise! Good to see you again! What are you doing here this time?" One of the closer teachers approached her, offering her a hand to shake while nodding at her butler good-naturedly. Garcia recognized him by his muscular build and facial scruff as one of the Battle Instructors of Jubilfe City.

"Hey, Mr. Garrus. I'm volunteering this time because Candice invited me to assist her with her lessons. Is she here? She didn't specify on exactly _what_ she wants me for, and I hope I'm not too late." Louise smiled at him, but failed to bring him any assurance on her condition. She was still breathing heavily and I handed her a handkerchief out of my waistcoat pocket.

She took it with a rough "Thanks." and dampened it on her forehead. She noticed Garrus eyeing her, and waved the hankie in his face. "I slept in, and I sprinted the way here. Anyways, do you know where she is?"

"You, sleeping in?" The man chuckled at the prospect; his favorite graduate waking up late was obviously thought not possible. "Candice is out in the battlefields, getting some last-minute training in. You going to meet her?"

"Yeah. Garcia." Her butler bowed slightly before marching beside her again, this time trying to appear more professional, now that Louise's old proctors were observing her. She constantly talked about manners and etiquettes while in public, and Garcia read a few manuals himself premising the subject.

However, even with his eyes fixed to the front, he could not block his ears from Garrus's fellow staff, who congregated around him to gossip.

"A Gallade? That's a rarity."

"Yeah. She told about him. He's working around the mansion as her butler."

"A Pokemon butler? _Now_ I've seen everything."

"Well, what do you think that vest of his mean? Besides, I don't care much about him. As long as he doesn't stir trouble around the city, I can let him serve her like a lapdog."

"That thing on his neck, that's one of those old translators, right?"

"Weren't those really expensive? I mean, over 40000 for one?"

"Yeah, but what did you expect from a Garnier?"

If Louise heard their words, she gave no visible response. The comments were not especially demoralizing; Garcia heard similar phrases during their run. He was still worried that she might lash at them. It wouldn't be the first time she had done so. He, on the other hand, was perceived as a simple Pokemon, and Louise instructed him to hold his tongue when the discussion regarded her and her alone, so he was not in the place to speak out.

Thankfully, the walk to the schoolyard was as quiet as can be, and he gingerly plucked the handkerchief back from her open hand.

On closer inspection however, he could see heavy wrinkles on the cloth.

...

Candice shared a plethora of characteristics with Louise. Both had black hair, were young women, had fair skin, and the same studious attitude when it came to Pokemon battles. The similarities stopped there. In a public setting, Louise was more analytical, calm, and had an air of professionalism. Candice was more outgoing, took a practical approach to things, and had a smile on her face almost everyday. Louise once asked her how she could be so optimistic.

"Better than being grouchy all the time like you, Louise!"

That struck a nerve; minute, but nevertheless a prominent one. She was not sad! She was simply more realistic than her and behaved as such. It did not stop the Gym Leader from poking fun at her from time to time. As she was currently doing.

"Oh come on!" She enveloped Louise in a hug, and slung her arm around her back. Garcia was familiar with her..._intimate_ gestures. When first visiting the mansion after Louise's hours, her constant contact with her was a source of embarrassment for Louise while doubling as a one of bad vibes for Garcia.

Despite his lineage, he did not have an aptitude for even the basic of psychic-type moves, not even telepathy. As such, he developed a dubious nature whenever strangers interacted with Louise. She often described him as overprotective; he described it as vigilance borne of discipline.

"And your Gallade's so astringent as always, huh?" She jogged in front of him and craned her head to get a clearer look on his face. He is especially tall for a Gallade. He and Louise ascribed it to his daily morning exercises. "Does he ever go out? He's looking a bit slimmer than last time."

Garcia solidified a frown. "I have been taking care of my health just fine." Toward anyone but his mistress, he had no need for formalities, but he refrained the quantity of words. Any unnecessary verbosity was risky, and when with strangers, he might let slip confidential information. Succinctness was the key, and he only conversed freely when associated solely with Louise.

An eyebrow was raised and Candice leered at his neck. He leered back, trying to reflect her intimidation. "You're a real lucky Pokemon to have your Trainer buy that translator."

"If you are suggesting that I would not be here if it were not for this device, then you are wrong. Also, she is not my Trainer, nor am I a Pokemon of hers."

The humor on her face was quickly replaced with smugness. "Why, I implied no such thing! Louise, how do you live with him?"

When asked, she wore an unusual expression; a combination of embarrassment and exasperation. Garcia could not trace the symptoms to a more accurate emotion; flushed face, mild gesticulation, stuttering prior to properly responding. "Did you have to phrase it like that? It's not like we're-"

Unfortunately, the rest of her answer was drowned by the shrill school alarm, signifying the beginning of the final period of the day: Pokemon battling.

"Well, here they come. Might as well make yourself prim and proper, butler." Candice grinned, while the butler in question hastily flattened his vest and slapped his gloved hands together.

In a matter of seconds, the doors acted as floodgates, releasing a steady but tempestuous wave of antsy children, directed into crude rows by the teacher from before. If Garcia was nervous before, he was ready to pull out his blade at this point. Many strangers and juveniles meant many delinquents. Is this what Louise had to handle for the last two years?

But the worst part of it all was the noise of them all. So many people talking so many topics in so little time, it was driving him mad! Louise told him that listening to other people tentatively was a basic sign of respect, but now he was fighting to urge to block his ears with his hands and paste a grimaced expression. Most of them were expectantly conversing about the upcoming demonstration, but some of the snippets he caught often revolved around their hairstyle, latest video games, and some gossip regarding the teacher. Beneath all this, Garcia was grateful he was not telepathic; he felt like his skull could break from the volume itself, let alone the myriad of thoughts the children accompanied!

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!" the proctors yelled out, urging the crowd into silence. After that, they led the children to a pair of tall bleachers set at a safe distance from the battlefields. The mob quieted down at this point, making them all the more intimidating to both Louise and Garcia. Two waves of eyes stared at them and Candice, leaving them speechless at first. Louise understood that she and the Gym Leader were to demonstrate a professional Pokemon battle, but now she was having second thoughts.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" She frantically whispered to Candice. She made fists with shaking hands and noticed that they were sweating.

"Hey, I couldn't bring any Trainers from my gym, and you're the only top graduate that didn't leave on their journey yet, so you're the best I've got!" Candice smiled wider and waved towards the crowd, who returned it with a cascade of claps. "Besides, I want to see how tough that Gallade is."

"Why do I get the feeling you've planned all this?" Louise whined helplessly. "But I told you before, Garcia doesn't battle." She had planned to have taken one of the Butterfree she had in her garden. They were familiar with her and would have gladly helped her. Unfortunately, that plan was sabotaged when she decided to take a nap to prepare her nerves for this battle.

A look of confusion dawned on Candice. "What do you mean, "doesn't battle"? All Pokemon battle; it's in their nature, and we Trainers simply provided them with the opportunities."

"It is alright, miss." Garcia's monotonous voice cut through the girls. The teachers were lecturing the students on the basics of battles and how they were beneficial for both Pokemon and people, but Garcia ignored the lesson. "It is only a demonstration, after all. I am sure Ms. Candice will not...take things too seriously."

Louise bit her nails while scanning Garcia. "I don't know. You don't have that much battle experience nowadays, and Candice isn't known for being cool and collected, especially in battles."

"Relax. Your Garcia seems smart enough to know what he's getting into." Candice patted her friend's shoulder to alleviate her worry. It did little, but she soon nodded, albeit hesitantly.

At that moment, one of the teachers, Mr. Garrus, came up to the group. "So, you decided on the battle conditions?"

"Yep!" Candice walked into the battlefield on her side, while Louise dragged herself to her respective side with Garcia following behind. She was famous during her Academy days as a cynic; the personality came with a disciplined schedule of school and study. Right now, she did not know which was worse: having Garcia injured (perhaps even critically), or humiliating herself by forfeiting the match before even starting. Therefore, she let the flow of the events decide what was to be.

"Alright, listen up!" Candice screamed, quelling the crowd of what remaining whispers it uttered. "This will be a one-on-one battle. Therefore, no substitutions of any kind, not that we have any other Pokemon, and the battle will be over when one's Pokemon can no longer battle or whichever Trainer throws in the towel first!"

A chorus of playful "We know!" erupted from the bleachers, eliciting a nervous smile from Louise. Garcia noticed her discomfort, and stood in front of her and bowed. "Do not worry about me. I will handle my battle by myself."

Louise was worried about this. Being raised in a completely human environment, he was more intelligent than most Pokemon, and thus, fought and trained mostly on his own. But she was worried that it might set the wrong message to the audience. Trainers and their Pokemon worked together to win battles, and she knew Garcia would not heed her in this battle. He needed to concentrate on fighting, and when necessary, to survive and protect Louise.

"No, I can't do this." Louise grunted painfully. She didn't need to see her butler get hurt over some demonstration!

Garcia bowed again. "You are right, you cannot. But I can." He turned around, and walked to the middle of the field.

Louise wanted to raise a hand. Hold him back and berate him for his insolence. But that would only delay the inevitable. He was fighting, at that was that. She had no Pokemon on hand or in the household anyways, so she had no reason to disapprove his action.

Not only that, he wanted to do this not just to prove himself, but for her. The Garnier family was known for its Pokemon Coordinators, which meant they were natural Trainers in general. Garcia was what was known as a "family Pokemon", meaning they served the family rather than a specific individual. Garcia was proud to serve the Garniers, and with only Louise remaining in the family, she was the only one he served and respected.

Louise gave one last sigh before calling out to Mr. Garrus, who served as the referee, "We're ready!"

He nodded once and faced the other side of the field. "Is the Gym Leader Candice, ready?"

Candice pulled out a miniaturized Pokeball from her pocket before enlarging it. "Let me just get him out and we can get started!" She pushed its button and the capsule snapped open, releasing a stream of light from its confines. It formed into a white silhouette in the field, which colourized into an identifiable Pokemon. The figure raised its green arms in the air and let out a guttural roar to show its pleasure at being freed.

"Abomasnow's been cranky because I haven't let him fight lately. Too strong for most Trainers to beat. I was hoping your Gallade, or hell, any other Trainer here, could beat some modesty into him." Candice smirked at Louise, whose stomach only dropped deeper with stomp of the giant ice-type.

"Garcia," she spoke, her trembling evident. "are you sure about this? You're not built for professional battling!" She didn't mean to shout, but her skittishness from realizing the dangers this simple demonstration carried forced her to fear the possibility.

For a moment, no one broke the silence. Her fears were real. Irrational, but real. Garcia knew the reason for her hesitance, but the rest of the crowd was perplexed at such excessive display of affection. Denying a Pokemon its right to battle was unthinkable; inconceivable. A Trainer's lifestyle was filled with Pokemon battles, not just to rise through the ranks, but to control the Pokemon community as a whole. Without trainers and their active participation, Pokemon would reproduce at such a rate where it would lay waste to the human race. Therefore, violence was an expected component of a Trainer. It was also a major reason to why Trainers' School focused heavily on discipline. Disciplined Trainers meant disciplined Pokemon. Disciplined Pokemon equaled less hesitation to go in for the kill when needed. It was unavoidable to free the hands of blood, but it was something all Trainers had to live with.

The Gallade let out a shallow sigh, turned around, and, to everyone's surprise, marched up to the shaking Louise. He wasn't sure if his action was going to calm her, add to her panic, or make her angry, but he had to try. It pained him to see her wreck herself in public. She was a Garnier; such a display in public was most uncouth, as her parents once uttered. He reached out with both arms and grabbed her shoulders, halting their jittering at contact with his gloves.

He exhaled to calm himself. He hoped that his vocal cords were trained enough with English so that his translator did not have to interfere with his speech.

"Excuse me for my audacity, but please calm yourself. It is unsightly, to me, your opponent, and the audience." He spoke slowly to avoid choking on his words, and lowered his head so that he was eye level. He was taller than her, thanks to his especially vigorous morning exercises. His red eyes pierced into hers. They weren't moist, but they were twitching just the slightest.

"These people, all soon to be Trainers like you, need an admirable example of what a Trainer is. Ms. Candice may be Gym Leader, but you are the idol here. You graduated as the top student in the School, and as the third best in the Academy. And I," He allowed himself a smirk, which was gratefully reflected in hers. "and I...am...I cannot be more proud than to serve the greatest Trainer I know." He grin grew into a sheepish one at his indiscretion.

"Do not fear. You did not think a Pokemon of the Garnier family would fall so easily, did you, miss?"

Louise let out a small laugh. Of course he would not. He was her butler, and his job was to remain at his mistress's side by the end of the day, as always. He would not fail her, at least on this day of days, where he could represent the capabilities of the Garnier family even further.

He let go of his grip from her arms and marched back to the middle of the field, confidence rising. He had not expected that; he only meant for his pep-talk to influence Louise, but seeing her regain her poise doubled his resolve to battle.

"I am ready!" Garcia yelled to the Mr. Garrus, who appeared quite dumbfounded at what he just witnessed. Normally, the Trainers would be the one uplifting their Pokemon's spirits, riling them up for the fight. The Pokemon also would not be the one declaring his alacrity for battle. When he turned to Louise for an explanation, she chuckled at his bewilderment.

"What? Never seen how Garcia battles? Well, when he does, and consider yourselves lucky he is," She pointed a finger at the students resting on the bleachers, who looked equally stunned. "he calls the shots."

Abomasnow let out a energetic roar; she was ready for a battle worthy of her endeavor, and was practically melting in anticipation. Mr. Garrus blinked his confusion away, and nodded in compliance.

"Alright then! Battle begin!"

...

**First things first...**

**NO REVIEWS? WHAT THE HELL, EVERYONE?**

**Okay. With that out of the way, I understand how this may seem like a boring fic, and without much plot, it can be for me as well. But this story focuses on the characters and their interactions with each other. In any case, I really hope ****someone**** reviews this time. It was kind of depressing to see no emails about reviews to this. **

**For those curious about Louise and Garcia's history, you'll just have to keep reading.**

**Tell me how I did this time. And if you're expecting a lemon yet, don't. It's not coming up for a while, so don't beg for it (maybe like, another five chapters, maybe?)**


	3. The Battle & Repercussion

Garcia took an immediate step back to create distance with the Abomasnow. A wise move; she swung a gigantic arm that narrowly missed him, colliding with only earth. He kept jumping back to widen the gap as much as he could, while Abomasnow reluctantly waited for her master's command.

"Now see right there?" Candice pointed to her Pokemon while staring at the students. "See how Abomasnow attacked without my order? That's how I keep my opponent's Pokemon on their feet! Hurry and get in close!" The Ice-type regained her pose before lumbering towards the Gallade to intimidate.

At this moment, Garcia was no more than a few feet away from Louise, and she could see Abomasnow's pink eyes loom over her as well. She tried to look through it instead of at it. With Garcia so close to her, she could not attract his attention with her fear. His concentration must be for the task at hand: incapacitate Abomasnow.

"See how Abomasnow went up to corner the Gallade like that? Initiative, people! Something every Trainer should have!" Candice was in full gear now, pointing wildly at the battlefield. Multitasking to point out key details while directing the battle was energizing not only her, but the crowd as well. The silence from them was not one of boredom or indolence. A combination of awe and intrigue captivated most of the students into ogling the field like an curious science experiment.

Fortunately, neither Garcia nor Louise shrunk away from their near perverse gaze. The former was analyzing his situation to deduce an effective counterattack, and the latter turned to the crowd.

"Speaking of initiative, take a look at Garcia!"

The Gallade took a step to the right to try to run around the ice giant. Predictably, Abomasnow raised both arms to crush him under her fists. At that moment, he jabbed the ground with his other foot, only to utilise it as pivot to spin on the spot, directing his momentum to the opposite direction. As he did so, he grabbed a handful of Abomasnow's white fur to pull himself away from the sledgehammer of an arm. Again, he avoided the attack by a near inch before dragging himself around her body until he was positioned to Abomasnow's _left_ side.

A sharp cascade of "Woah!" rose from the audience, synchronously perplexed and astounded at Garcia's extraordinary dexterity.

As he ran to the other side of the field, he allowed himself a minute smirk. He had seen this dodging technique in football games broadcasted all the way from Unova, due to Louise's inherent wealth eliminating the need for an occupation. Whenever she was not studious, in a volunteer activity, or plagued with lethargy, she would search for a channel to entertain that might entertain her. One day, when she was absent from the house to visit the school out of boredom, Garcia used the opportunity to search for a channel that might interest him. By pure luck, he found a football game between the Castelia Chatots and the Driftveil Duckletts, with the latter having just scored a touchdown.

Garcia knew about sports and their terminology from literature, but never in real life. It intrigued him as he watched a form of entertainment where Pokemon were not involved. He spent a good hour sitting on the couch deriving the rules of the game through observation. However, the final play of the game left him dumbfounded. The receiver was dwarfed by the colossal linebackers. Despite the size difference, he was passed the ball and ran in a powerful sprint. His legs were moving so fast they were a blur and the entire house was flooded with the sound of digitally enhanced cheers of the stadium. No matter how the Duckletts tried to impede his movements, they would only grab thin air as he spun on spot like a dancer, avoiding their fingers and still progressing with his forward momentum.

Depressingly, the Duckletts won the game 28 to 22, but Garcia was more distracted by the Chatot runner's skills. He was veritably fast, but his technique to avoid so many defensemen of double his size left him speculating how he could integrate it as his own repertoire.

The battle against an Abomasnow was a perfect parallel. Such a large body mass stored an equal strength, but the same could not be said for the Pokemon's agility. The species was made for handling and delivering punishment. Its frame was simply not built for running.

"How's that for initiative?" Louise called out to the crowd. "You can't tell your Pokemon to move in such a complex manner before they're interrupted by the opponent!" They responded with a wave of cheering while the teachers applauded at the demonstration.

Garcia crossed over the battlefield until he was yard away from Candice. Abomasnow roared at the danger the butler imposed to her Trainer, but Garcia gave a tenuous smile at the Gym Leader.

"You are lucky you are not my enemy." His whisper caused her to, for the first time he had seen her, frozen on spot. It was a startling change in her usual demeanor, but she did not break her eyes away from his.

This was a mistake in her part. Candice should have had her eyes on the field as a whole so she would have noticed the blade Garcia drew out of his left arm.

A glottal howl awoke her from her daze, and Garcia turned to see Abomasnow, arms raised to crush.

With no time to dodge this time, he raised both arms in a defensive stance. The overwhelming weight of the blow forced him to his knees, and Garcia panicked when he witnesses his sword bending precariously out of place. His blade, nevertheless, cut into the ice-type's arm, staining its green fur with crimson.

Abomasnow retracted his arms and growled in pain. She covered her arm with her better one to pause the bleeding. She was Gym Leader-level Pokemon; such an injury was nothing to one with such caliber! Indeed, after a second of abeyance, she gave a loud grunt to affirm her health, arms raised and ready for another round.

Candice only eyed the bloodied blade of the Gallade for a moment before slapping herself awake and returning her regular demeanor. "Alright, then! Abomasnow, Ingrain!"

Garcia bit back a curse as he watched roots sprout from Abomasnow's legs and into the soil. He would have intercepted the move if it were not for her previous Wood Hammer forcing him to the ground. The impact left an impression throughout his body, and he was certain he could not take another one, even if blocked, and still stand. He clenched his hands into fists and ran to the resting Pokemon. With her rooted in place, she could not avoid any assault.

"Blizzard!"

He felt something drop in his stomach as Abomasnow inhaled. He stomped the ground and pushed himself away, but it was too late. A tempest of snow and ice swept his entire body, forcing him to tense up while attempting to shield his torso and face with his arms. Despite Blizzard being an ice-type attack, he didn't feel cold; he felt blazing stabs of snow penetrate his skin and muscle like fire. He wanted to scream out in pain and shock, but his teeth were preoccupied with incessant chattering to circulate blood through his face.

Outside of the sadistic elements, Garrus walked up beside Garcia's Trainer, agitation spread on his face. "What are you doing?"

Her own worry was apparent to the teacher. She fixated her gaze to the mound of snow accumulating around the Gallade, her fingers twitching helplessly. "I'm trusting in my Pokemon, something wrong with that?" Despite clenched hands, she could not filter her voice free from fear.

"No, but there is something wrong with a Trainer holding back commands and warnings. You're facing a certified Gym Leader, one that's not known for being merciful in any battle." He faced the carnage occurring on the field. Garcia could no longer be seen and a cocoon of snow was all that was visible to everyone. "You're not setting a very good example of a Trainer, you know."

"Abomasnow, stop!" Candice dropped her smile into a scowl. With all the ice in the way, she could not ascertain Garcia's condition. Blizzard was powerful, but it also possessed a large chance to freeze its target. On an opponent in point-blank range, both damage and percentage could nearly double. However, that was not the only reason. If she applied excess pressure to a target as slender as a Gallade, a shell of ice would be the least of consequences; she might have placed him in critical condition.

Abomasnow and eyed the mound with interest, pondering how an ice sculpture of a Gallade would look like. She tore her gaze from it and into her Trainer's eyes when she spoke up. It was not the volume or the words that bought her attention. It was the emotion in them.

"Stop the battle! Abomasnow, brush that snow off him!" She did it again; she got overexcited and this time, one of her best friend's Pokemon paid the price. Her own innards started to freeze with anxiety.

Abomasnow grunted in response, but her own legs were stuck on the ground, anchored by the numerous roots dug deep into the soil. Candice noticed her immobility, and cursed herself.

"Louise, return Garcia!"

"GRRRRAHGH!"

Before she could even reach into her pocket, ice and frost shot out of the Gallade's frozen form, leaving a shivering Garcia, blade withdrawn, limp and livid.

Every Trainer, in this case, everyone, gasped in disbelief. No Pokemon had ever displayed such an immediate recovery from freeze, especially from an attack belonging to a Gym Leader's Pokemon. Candice's eyes and jaw held themselves open, while her Abomasnow would have tripped backwards if it were not for her rooted legs. Louise, however, had a dubious look, as if she had seen a ghost-type. Her agape mouth gradually flexed into a smile of tired relief. She should have known. No Pokemon of the Garnier family would fall in battle so easily!

Her smile in turn, curled his own, and Garcia took a couple more breathes before shaking himself like a soaked Mightyena. He stood up to reveal his full stature and clenched his right hand in a fist in an mock salute. Louise mirrored his action, her courage and faith returning.

She turned the Garrus, whose own eyes were narrowed at the capability of the Gallade. "He's still able-bodied. You can continue the match, which, by the way, you have never called to a pause." As a student no longer, she was permitted minor offense to her former teacher, but now was a time she wanted to smile until her cheeks ached from the pressure. Garrus was the referee of the battle, and when he came to Louise's side to berate, he had forgotten he was in charge of stopping the battle when necessary, such as when presented a Pokemon's ambiguous fate.

Ignoring his stutters and hesitance, Louise pointed to the referee's stand of the field, which he sprinted onto to command the battle once again. Ignoring the bemused glances of the children behind him, he raised his hands to the air. "If both Trainers and Pokemon are ready, continue-"

"Wait!" Louise called out.

"Yes, Louise?"

"Not me, him!" She pointed to Garcia, who was awkwardly flexing and loosening his fingers as if a digit was broken.

Unknown to most of them, he was realizing that the gloved hands he used to guard himself was drenched with ice water. He thought about getting circulation into his hands, but it just made his hands prick in pain.

He then remembered a piece of information he read in a first-aid guide. When wrapped in wet clothing, it was advised to discard them to avoid loss of body heat. When it came to survival in more frigid conditions, it was a matter of life and death. He peeled of the damp gloves and shoved them into his vest pocket, ignoring the chill his wet hands suffered as a result. He then noticed that his waistcoat was drenched as well. He unbuttoned himself with difficulty, unaware of the leers he received, especially from his Trainer, and hastily folded it into a prim square; just like he was taught by his master Bradley.

He jogged up to Louise, who continued to gawk at him. Gallade placed his uniform next to her feet and looked back at his mistress. To his amazement, she was not looking back in her usually motherly manner, but stared at his back, where his red horn poked out of.

He understood her perplexity, and stood up straight. "Miss, I..." He stopped himself. His translator was damaged in the Blizzard, and his words instead came in growls of a wild animal. He took the device off his throat and looked at it in confusion, quickly replaced by worry. His mistress's greatest gift to him was rendered into scrap metal, just like that? He did not know what to do; he had read dozens of novels, but none of which related to technology as advanced as the translator. He carried it for almost two years. He had thought about when such vulnerable machinery would be damaged, but a demonstration battle was the last place he would have thought to be in.

Louise, her gaze at his back broken by his rising, stared at the translator as well. Her butler, always so polite and formal, was dumbstruck by such a trivial matter? She could not stop a smirk from forming itself, and wrapped his hands holding the device with her own.

"I'll hold onto that. After the battle, we'll get it fixed. But right now, focus on the battle." She plucked the translator from his delicate grip, and bent down to grab his single article of clothing as well. Garcia wanted to protest; attending to a master's needs was his job, not hers! But before he could let out another growl, she cut him off, looking like she was about to explode with laughter. She forced herself to keep stoic though. Such a display in the middle of a battle would have surely handed her a reprimand from his father. "What did I just say? Focus on the battle for now. And take that Abomasnow down for trying to turn you into a popsicle, understand?"

Garcia continued to stare back at her, but he could not ignore an order delivered with such daring. It reminded him of his mother Seras, so serene but audacious when the situation called for it. He gave a low bow before nodding at Garrus, signalling his preparations as complete. He nodded in return, and raised both hands in the air. "Resume battle!"

Candice did not deliver the first command, but she looked at Gallade with an apprehensive look. "What happened to his back?"

Garcia loudly grunted in response. Louise smile at his bashfulness, but respected his privacy. "That's his own problem, and he doesn't feel like sharing."

"Well, why doesn't he use other arm?" Candice continued to shout.

Louise wanted to repeat her previous answer, but decided to take a page from Garcia's teachings of peeving. "He doesn't need another blade to take your Abomasnow down." She completed the message with a smug smile that Candice usually wore.

The crowd, which have been silent so far, gave a loud "Oooh..." of wonder at the words.

Candice was no longer smiling. She snarled, bared teeth revealing her rising temper. No one, not even a close friend, teased her status as Gym Leader like that. In front of an audience of children, no less! "Fine! Abomasnow, move in and use Wood Hammer again!"

By this point, the roots that tied her feet retracted into her flesh, and her arm from the beginning of the battle was fully healed. Garcia was at a disadvantage now, but he was sharper for it. Garcia dodged her colossal arm as he recollected the moves Candice called out.

There was the obvious Wood Hammer.

The missed attack created a large noise at collision with the soil. He tried to multitask to the best of his abilities; circling around the Pokemon and thinking of a possible counterattack was frustrating to both mind and body.

There was Ingrain, which she used to recover from Garcia's unintentional counterattack.

Abomasnow failed to make contact again. He slashed at her side, but her thick fur and musculature caused the blade to bounce off of her as if he struck rubber.

Blizzard, the move which nearly froze him to the core. What last move was she hiding?

Missed again. He went for a stab this time, determined to cripple one of Abomasnow's arms. He could only bury the blade into her flesh for a mere second before he had to withdraw to avoid her counterattack. Her white fur was tainted with a familiar crimson, but she continued her assault as if Garcia's attack was nothing but a pinprick.

He made a disoriented list of all the grass- and ice-type moves he could think of. Ice Shard? Razor Leaf? Ice Ball? GrassWhistle? Ice Beam? Mega Drain?

"Shadow Ball!"

Abomasnow raised her arms like always, but instead of bringing them down, a black ball formed between her arms, crackling with dark sparks of energy.

If Garcia had his translator with him, the whole school would have heard his malediction. He had no time to avoid such a move at the range he set himself with Abomasnow; he tried to play tag with her before, and as a result he briefly transformed into a snowman. This time, he tried to avoid Abomasnow's moves while wearing her down with meager cuts. That was another mistake in his jurisdiction.

In a panic, he swung his blade as soon as the dark sphere launched out of Abomasnow's arms. They both collided, neither giving up their struggle to push the other out of their path, until the Shadow Ball exploded in Garcia's face. Luckily, he used his free right arm to block his eyes from the dust the explosion stirred up.

"Wood Hammer!"

He could not pirouette himself this time. It was as if a wrecking ball was swung his way, knocking him off his feet and into the air. Garcia could not hear her Trainer's aghast yells; his was focusing solely on his back that skimmed the ground. His horn chafed against it as he slid across the battlefield, halting limply in front of a disgruntled Louise.

"Garcia!"

Hearing her voice, he got to his feet as quickly as he could. He could not fall in battle just yet. He remembered a snippet of information regarding Wood Hammer. Despite its massive power, it had the consequence of returning a fraction of the damage dealt to an opponent. Even if Abomasnow missed most of the time, Candice had her use it in succession. Ingrain would solve this complication, but she had only used it once to recover from her first laceration. Blizzard was certain to hit only at close range, and he settled at too great a distance to be used effectively, much less accurately. She could have used Shadow Ball again, but Candice had a different plan.

"Finish it with Wood Hammer!"

Abomasnow was lumbering to the best of her abilities while Garcia was still recuperating from the blow. Louise silently cheered him on from behind him, both hands clenched as if they were hands clasped in prayer. Even if she wanted to surrender, wanted Garcia to stop, she had neither capability nor position to do so, and relied on her butler for his own verdict.

With his current disposition, Gallade no longer possessed the coordination and strength to avoid the attack. He would not have anyways, lest risk Louise to act as recipient of it. With a furious roar, Abomasnow raised her right arm for the swing. Clenching his teeth, Garcia pulled back his left for a stab.

The battle ended at an anticlimax, but for the fighters, the result was indescribable at first; there were too many signals simultaneously processed in the Pokemons' brains to organize at the moment, most of them regarding pain. Every bone in Garcia's arm felt like red-hot metal, singeing the muscle like it was trying to melt from the inside. The musculature itself was in a capricious state of constant twitches. His right hand, which he used to further defend against Wood Hammer, was left in better condition, but he could feel the wrist snap as he moved his hand off Abomasnow's. His blade was buried into her arm, blood dripping down his arm and sinking into the soil.

Both paralyzed in horror as they eyed Abomasnow's skin jutting out, twitching in desperation to perforate to the other side completely.

A duet of screams broke through the still air. They fell back to separate from each other, too distraught with their injuries to care about the battle anymore.

Candice immediately returned her Pokemon before she frenzied from the pain. The audience was petrified at the visuals, and Candice did not know if that was good for the lack of screams or bad for the panic strewn across their faces. "Louise! You need to return your Gallade! We need to get both of them to the Pokemon Centre!"

"This battle is over! Louise, return your Pokemon! Thank Arceus the Centre's so close!" Garrus ran up to her with a frightened look. The rest of the staff calmed the students and had them remain seated.

"GRRRAGH! NO!"

Everyone turned to face the speaker. Garcia had his arms limp and hanging by their shoulders. His blade was dyed red and both arms were splattered with blood. The most unnerving feature of him, however, was the countenance he wore. His eyes were wide as if someone taped his eyelids to his forehead. They were not just the eyes of a Pokemon anymore; they were a beast's. His bared teeth were holding back any screams of pain as struggled to form coherent English.

"No...need! I can...walk! Grrk!" His growls, while having excessive volume, was audible and clear.

Louise was stunned by his words. It was a preposterous idea. Both arms were injured, and she was considering a Pokemon's words over her own judgment? She hesitated for a moment, split between her choices. His injuries were not dire, but painful beyond imagination. Also, they could order for an ambulance, but such a call was only expected for people; paramedics were not the same as a Pokemon Doctor. It was clear: recalling Garcia to a Pokeball was the best idea.

Candice noticed her equivocation, having reached her side before they could leave for the Centre. She stared at her incredulously. "You can't be serious!"

"I am!" Louise blurted out. She clenched Garcia's folded vests closer to her chest. "His arms are broken, not his legs! We're going NOW! Garcia, follow me!"

Garcia only grunted in response, and marched behind her furious steps. Candice and Garrus stared at the pair. Both of them knew how stringent she was, especially during her studies and Pokemon battles, but surely she possessed an iota's worth of sympathy for her Pokemon, much less her butler!

Candice followed them a fair distance behind, hoping to investigate the relationship between the two. She had hoped to discover how her non-combative Pokemon would fair against professional's Pokemon as well as demonstrating how a Gym Leader battled, but it ended worse than she hoped for. She deemed it was best if she kept some distance between her and herself.

It was a wise decision; unknown to anyone but her and her butler, Louise dug into Garcia's vest pocket but mistook his wet gloves as his handkerchief. But what did it matter?

...

**Alright, now with a good hospital scene, you're sure to get to know the characters more personally! **

**Sorry, but I'm feeling rather lazy as I write this, but next chapter you'll get some of your questions answered regarding Garcia and Louise's personality and history with each other.**

**Hopefully by next week, I'll have another chapter up. And for those still reading, I have put ****Who Are You**** on hiatus. Sorry if you're pissed, but I'm feeling like focusing on this story before continuing it. Hope you fellow authors understand!**


	4. The Hospitalization & History

The venture to the Centre was not a pleasant one by far. Every eye turned towards Louise as they made their way through streets, murmuring about the horrid state of the Gallade limping behind her. She had to bare it however, and through the discomforting gaze of the busy crowd, she adopted a face of pure apathy.

"Wasn't that the girl from before?"

"What in Arceus's name happened to the Gallade? What happened to his arms?"

"Maybe they got back from a really serious battle? You know?"

Yes, that was indeed what happened: a Pokemon battle that escalated to borderline immoral levels. Abomasnow could not be blamed for her excessive force. She was only executing her master's orders, not knowing any better of what to do but fight. Candice was the one with most blame. How such an immature, hyperactive Trainer became Gym Leader, and an adequate one, was something that covertly infuriated Louise. Exceptional Trainers that graduated from the School and Academy were offered such prestigious positions by the Pokemon League. Why had she not received a recommendation? Was the system and curriculum so different in Snowpoint?

Louise briskly shook her head to clear herself of the thoughts. Her butler's injured both arms, for Arceus's sake! The position of Gym Leader was far from appropriate at the current situation. She should be more concerned about helping Garcia in any manner before arriving at the Centre.

She turned around to face Garcia for the first time since leaving the school. Her eyes softened in shame at the sight of him. He kept his stature straight as he usually would, but his arms were limp and to his side. He struggled to keep his face stoic as hers, not hoping to disappoint her in professionalism. His quivering lips and eyes indicated the contrary; he was at the breaking point of groaning in pain. With the silence preceding the Pokemon battle, she would rather have him cry in pain than torture her with his compliant silence.

The blood that had yet to coagulate on his white skin continued to drip down his fingers, leaving a trail on the ground behind him. The extended blade did not help calm the onlookers, with its entire length dyed in blood, emanating the impression of a torture device. Louise gasped at the painted path. She was so concerned with getting to a Centre she forgot about the illusive implications the scene would instill to the public. She remembered the cloth gloves she withdrew from his now crumpled waistcoat, and walked over to Garcia.

"Miss?" With his translator broken and unadorned, a single word was all he could risk without releasing a groan of pain. He was apprehensive at her sudden change in action. Was she not escorting him to the Pokemon Centre to be hospitalized?

She brushed off his word, and focused only at his hands stained crimson. She bent down on one knee to better position herself. It was nothing arduous: wiping and draining away the liquid with the desiccated as collateral was elementary. However, it was not simple to do so without moving the hands and arms of the victim, resulting in Garcia contorting to keep his agony under control.

People continued to stare, and Louise's entire body flustered in embarrassment. She now not only had to manage grooming Garcia, but ignore the amplified number of eyes staring at her. Such a care for a Pokemon is something one did with the protection of privacy, Trainer or not. Despite the public view, she overruled it and worked on his arms and gently as possible.

After she finished cleansing his arms, she gazed at the now red gloves, wondering if she could keep them in her pocket to avoid suspicion.

"Miss." Garcia rumbled quietly as Louise got to her feet. She looked up at his eyes, wondering what he could want from her. "Please." Despite the absurdity of it, he slowly raised both his arms, gesturing to his vest under her arm. An injury was no excuse to be relieved of duty, especially for a Pokemon of the Garcia family.

She clenched her hands in tandem with her teeth. Here she was, trying to assist her precious butler who harboured broken limbs, and he was distracted by her holding onto a piece of cloth?

"What is WRONG with you!"

Garcia blinked at her lashing but did not move in any other form. If it did not hurt to do so, he would have clenched his own hands to flinch. "My arms. Both are broken." It was the best sentence he could formulate without blunder, and Louise nodded aggressively, ignoring his misinterpretation.

"That's right! Right now, you're arms are busted! Because YOU so insisted on battling. You are in NO position to be making any demands, you hear!"

This time he took a step back. She was smart enough to keep her voice to a whisper, but it was a deadly one. Small but sharp like a razor, it kept him on his toes. He was lurking on dangerous territories now, and he knew a single misspeak could mean another admonition. That was something he could not risk, what with fractured arms and all.

Her furious whispering emanated enough emotion to usher everyone away, but not enough to repel two men from walking between her words. "Excuse me? Is your Gallade injured?"

Garcia immediately tensed up, ready to defend Louise. His arms were in no condition to be used in any matter, but he a job to perform. She only waved away his approach, and attempted to calm down to appeal to the gentlemen. "What gave it away, the dripping blood or his sword?" While her countenance was kempt, it could not halt her inner aggravation.

Her remark caused both of them to stifle laughter. "Yeah, both actually." One of them, a young blond, stepped forward. Garcia tried his best to subdue the stranger's advance. Not difficult when one looked like a murderer. He conspicuously eyed the Pokemon's blade, and his fingers were trembling. "If you need help, I can drive you to the Centre." He jabbed his thumb at a large blue van behind him.

Garcia only growled louder. Two strangers, a van, and a teenage girl could not be beneficial to all parties. Louise, in turn, turned around and walked away from the pair. "Sorry, but I have a policy with talking to strangers."

However, they were not giving up. The second man, a shorter, but heftier redhead, stepped in front of her. Despite the difference in size compared to the first man, he appeared considerably older. "Come on, Ms. Garnier, we're only trying to help. Besides, your Pokemon can't even do its job of protecting his Trainer, and we're more than happy to help out someone in need."

Garcia was visibly shaking with anger now. These completely strangers thought he could not perform his duties due to a temporary handicap? His bared teeth were enough to send his message to both the men and Louise. She pointed to her butler, a satisfied smirk present. "Say that again, and he'll break your own arms with his feet. Move please."

Garcia wished to snarl, "These men do not deserve such politeness, seeing as they do not employ it themselves!" but he was still recovering, and his arms were beginning to numb.

The blond one put his arm on Louise's shoulder, coercing her to his direction. "Don't be so cautious, Ms. Garnier. The Centre-"

His words were silenced and replaced with a grunt of pain. The man retracted his arm, clutching his wrist with his other hand. Garcia balanced himself in front of Louise, his arms limp but his form daunting. His red eyes looked straight at both men's own, showing his eagerness to strike again at the slightest provocation. This action earned some of the crowd's gaze, and the atmosphere tensed around Louise.

While the blond recoiled, the redhead formed a deep frown. "So you think you don't need help?" He brought his hand to his belt, revealing three Pokeballs attached to the leather.

"She doesn't, at least from you."

Four heads turned to the direction of the voice. Candice was glaring at the group, her fists clenched beside her, and a Weavile ready to pounce at her Trainer's word.

The situation has changed dramatically. With a Gym Leader supporting Louise, the hoodlums' odds of escorting the Garnier was slim. There was also the fact they were in public, and eyes and heads were proceeding to turn their way. A Pokemon battle in public without a proper battlefield was a violation of the Pokemon League law, punishable by revocation of the Trainer's license, often permanently. No Trainer would ever risk their license simply to allure a woman. A Gym Leader present did not help any matters. Candice could vouch for Louise, and serve as a prominent witness to the scene, solely accusing the strangers as the perpetrators.

"Feel like taking both of us on?" Candice walked next to Louise, but did not break her gaze from the men.

Both bit their lips, and turned on their heels. They entered their van and Candice did not stop staring until they were out of sight.

With the conflict resolved, Louise and Garcia sighed in relief. She was scared of the strangers and it was the first time she was involved in such an event. She regularly heard about the girls in the Academy who were approached by strangers, but she was never curious how they handled the situation. Did they run away, fight the offender, or scream for help?

Not only that, but how would Garcia defend her? He was in great pain, and he trained his arms and swordsmanship for the majority of his training. One human he could fend off, but two of them simultaneously, and Garcia would most likely have had his legs fractured as well.

The crowd, seeing the issue was taken care of, proceeded with their regular schedules as if nothing occurred. Regardless, she was grateful for her friend's assistance.

"Thanks for that, it would have really sucked if-"

"It's still going to suck."

Louise and Garcia blinked in her friend's embitterment. Candice did not drop her leering, and eyed Garcia menacingly, as if suspicious of his interference with the strangers. It was still unnerving to witness her frustrated like this, and Louise was stunned into silence. Garcia returned the look, but abandoned it when he felt a pulse agony travel up his arms.

Recognizing the Pokemon's suffering, Candice took command of the situation. "Stick close to me. Hurry, don't want to make those arms of yours any worse."

Garcia bit his tongue in defiance. No one but the Garnier orders him! However, Louise patted him on the shoulder, notifying him to follow her. He grudgingly trailed behind the Gym Leader, with his mistress right behind.

...

There was a steep price to stay a night in the Centre for Trainers, but that was what Pokemon battles were for. For Pokemon, however, there was no fee for their hospitalization, and Trainers were encouraged to bring stray injured Pokemon, both wild and owned, for treatment. The Pokemon Centre was always an inviting place. A friendly staff, the iconic Nurse Joy, the faint scent of antibiotics in the air-conditioned atmosphere, and the calm everyone seemed to possess when they were inside the building made it a perfect place to sojourn.

Unfortunately, Garcia needed more than bed rest. Joy explained the diagnosis and the damage was worse than Louise expected. His left forearm and elbow was fractured, and his right wrist was broken as well. His blade and connected bones suffered the worst consequence. The sword was bent out of shape, and the combination of its deformation and broken bone meant he could not sheathe it back into his arm. This disability is temporary, and while Pokemon naturally heal much faster than humans, a fracture would persist for at least a week before the limb could be utilized again.

Louise gawked at the white casts in guilt. She could not help but feel this was her fault in the end. If she was more astringent with him and properly prepared a Pokemon to bring to Candice's demonstration, he would not be in such a state. Garcia shrugged it off, telling her it was only temporary and he could still function as the Garnier butler. He courteously asked when they would leave the patient's room and depart to the mansion.

This, in turn, maddened Louise even further.

"Lunch time." He pointed with his lighter hand to the clock, attempting to steady his haggard arm. It was pointing at 3 o'clock, but Louise could not care less about a meal oversight.

"Forget that!" She tried to be condescending, but the combination of his laconic phrases and condescending attitude caused her to grip at her lengthy hair. He had his arms, his most dependable tools, incapacitated, and he was worrying about her? "How can you be so-"

"Louise, Nurse Joy wants to talk to you."

Her bout of frustration was cut short by Candice, whose own anger lessened than prior mentioned, but still present. She was relieved when Garcia found immediate medical attention by the doctor, but after that, her emotions returned with vigor.

Louise stood up from her chair, and returned the displeasure. Garcia could not help but cringe at the sight. Just as it pleased him to witness her sated, it made his innards bitter when she was downcast. She was prepared for her reprimand, however, and decided to be direct. "Before I go, I know you're pissed off and curious about Garcia."

"You're right about that."

"So Garcia," She turned to him, wagging a finger between his eyes. "If she asks you any questions, here." She requested a blank notebook and a pen from the reception in case Garcia wished to converse anytime. He was lenient to not do so, but with Candice present, such preparation was not squandered. "I know you can't speak, what with you translator broken. So use this. You can write a hell of a lot more concisely than speaking, so tell her the truth when she asks you a question."

Grabbing the book and pen with his less encumbered right hand, he hesitated. He had never divulged any private information, either his or Louise's, to anyone. It was a violation of highest order, of both ethics and personal, and if it were not due to her permission and order, he would have never conceived the deed.

"Now if you'll excuse me, you have a lot of catching up to do. I'll fill in any blanks Garcia may leave out when I get back." Without another word from either side, she vacated, leaving her butler under the authority of the Gym Leader.

Awkward silence filled the room, ready to vibrate with speech or be filled with the sound of scribbles.

Candice was surprised to see Garcia taking the initiative.

Thankfully, the cast did not extend to his digits and he was right-handed, so his ability to write was mostly unhampered. After adjusting to the sleek plastic and anchoring the notepad with his left arm, he firmed his grip and wrote on the blank paper.

Candice blinked in shock but growing curiosity overtook the initial emotion. She never saw something so commonplace yet alien as a Pokemon fully understanding human language. Garcia started slow, but his pace gradually rose and Candice inferred most of the words written at her angle. Just how clever and educated was this Pokemon? Was a Pokemon even capable of this level of intelligence?

Garcia, regardless of reluctance, properly punctuated his writ and turned the tablet to Candice.

**What do you want to know?**

Aside from its rigidity and slight disproportions of strokes, he wrote eligibly. Fancy even. Candice read over the text again and spoke with clarity.

"First off, what is your rela-" She barely managed to withdraw her words, and took a moment to organize her thoughts. Such a term would only make the situation further bizarre, and she was determined to not lose poise. "How are you related to Louise in the first place?"

**I am her family Pokemon, and butler. After her parents died, she is my sole master.**

"I could see that from our first meeting." She drawled with sarcasm. Garcia wanted to snarl, but Louise would reprimand him for the hostility. "Let me be more specific. How did you first meet?" She wrapped her ponytails around her fingers while waiting for Garcia.

**Four years ago, she found me in her garden. Being a small inexperienced Ralts at the time, I managed to slip through the fences to escape from a herd of Stunky. They outnumbered me, but they could not chase me in the garden. Louise and her parents were attracted to their odor and they saw me. Naturally, they took me in, and I served as their Pokemon ever since.**

"Four years?" Her fascination was evident even to the blind and deaf. "Didn't you have your own family?"

Candice gasped at the sudden strength of the Pokemon's grip. She had entered private territory, and hoped Louise would return soon.

**I do not know my parents. The most logical deduction was that they may have abandoned me.**

The Gym Leader raised her hands to her mouth. This was never heard of. Psychic Pokemon were one of the most benevolent of species, openly communicating with humans and drawing befitting compromises. Such barbarism, towards their child, was abominable.

**I later learned that Gardevoir were endangered in the Sinnoh region. Because of this, it is logical that many of them mate with as many partners as possible. This is my lone conclusion, but I think my mother left me for my poor aptitude in psychic-type moves. You have seen me never using any psychic-type moves in our battle?**

Garcia flipped to the next page, while Candice waited eagerly for more words. If endangered, would it not be wisest to keep as many offspring alive as possible, regardless of potential? Maybe it was due to a genetic disorder?

**It is common for Luxray to toss their young over mountains or valleys and further nurture the ones who venture back to the parents. Initially, I was confused. Why would a parent do that? Then I realized, only the strong can survive and continue to reproduce, breeding an animal that is at least as strong as the parent. I think my mother left me as I was unfit to fend for myself, much less possible offspring.**

Candice could not deny the cold logic supporting the statement. If a parent was incapable of supporting their family, they were unfit for the position. This bestial quality was what conclusively segregated Pokemon from humans. Humans support their young, no matter what oddity they possess. Pokemon strive for power through constant evolution so they could protect themselves and others by dominating the opposition. The intentions were parallel, but the methods were vastly different.

"I thought that...disability," She hoped she would not agitate Garcia further, and was fortunate to receive little reaction from the word. "was because of that injury on your back. That back horn?" The image still lingered in her memory. During the battle, she saw the wound when he unclothed himself and was horrified at the large gash. It was as if a segment was torn off rather than cleanly carved. She heard most of the students and staff gasping concurrently and she internally supported their reactions.

**No, I received that injury after I evolved into a Gallade.**

"How though?"

He flipped to another blank page, but instead of writing, looked at Candice, as if asking her where this questioning would lead to. She noticed this, and promptly apologized. "Sorry if I'm intruding into the deep personal secrets. I...you...don't have to..." She was at a loss and she was not capricious to output words right after their input. A Trainer was to possess mastery over their Pokemon, but here was a Gym Leader stammering in the presence of a debilitated one!

Garcia turned his attention to the waistcoat Louise left on his bed. She bought him the clothing to disguise his scar, and before today, no one but he and his mistress knew of its existence. The scar and how he earned it was not a secret of solely his own, but Louise's as well.

**I cannot answer that.**

Reading those words, Candice sighed in relief. She knew she had the power to stop her own questioning, but once she started, Garcia's history acted as a funnel that absorbed her full attention and prevented any withdrawal. Her deep connection with her own Pokemon was a key factor in her nomination as Gym Leader. Knowing when to fight a battle, when to reject, when to retreat, and her empathy with Pokemon made her a perfect model of a Trainer.

She was worried that Garcia would lose trust in her. Her connection with his mistress and social personality was a positive step, but everyone knows how easy it is to break a haphazard bond.

"Are you done?"

The abrupt voice caused both Pokemon and Trainer to jump in their seats. Louise has returned, and even more surprisingly, a smile on her visage.

"We can go out now. Come on. That talk of lunch got me hungry."

Garcia nodded obediently, and dismounted the bed. He was ravenous as well, and the talk of a meal made him salivate. The battle have taken a toll on his strength and pondered what his mistress would purchase to sate the both of them.

"Wait!"

Two pairs of eyes stared at her. While it give cause for hesitation, she recovered and steeled her nerves.

"Can I come with you?"

Candice could not let herself be dismissed so suddenly. There was so much more she wanted to know, and with Louise in a setting as hospitable as lunch, there was opportunity to learn about the pair than initially known.

"Are you sure? Don't you have a explanation to pay as to why you left the Trainer School?" Louise countered smartly.

"Oh, I already did that. What do you think took me from saving your skin earlier?"

While Candice smiled, Louise frowned. Garcia witnessed the pattern a few times, and he could not help but smile behind her back. A guilty pleasure of his, watching her ego perturbed as such.

"Garcia could have handled those guys." She answered indignantly.

"Yes, but as the saying goes, "Better safe than sorry", right?" Candice marched next to Louise and an arm around her shoulder. "Come on! I'll even pay for lunch."

Louise chuckled at the prospect, and Garcia widened his smile. After all, who could turn down such an invitation?

...

**It's 2 a.m. on a Sunday, so I won't write this for long. I just want to say one thing:**

**NO REVIEWS FOR CHAPTER 3?! COME ON, PEOPLE! YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT!**


	5. The Diner & Recollections

The venture to the restaurant district was not as impressive as the excursion through it. Pedestrians and various vehicles were low in quantity as most were expected to have eaten lunch or waited until the sun had set for supper to attend one of the street's diners or cafés. Nevertheless, the asphalt was illuminated with a multitude of colours that signified the restaurants' presence and availability. Garcia secretly appreciated the timing of Candice's offer. The sun was still ahead, allowing him and his mistress to march without possible disorientation from the contrast between the dark and neon, as they would have experienced if they were searching for dinner instead of late lunch.

Every block they crossed, Garcia would receive a glance from a bystander, curious as to why a Pokemon would require a cast. An injured Pokemon, no matter how damaged, would be fully restored after a few nights of hospitality in the Centre. Originally, Garcia indignantly answered to Candice that since he served as Louise's butler, he needed to be able to serve her with maximum frequency. This included whilst injured.

Candice was not someone who was oblivious to the art of inference. If Louise was in dire need of him, she could simply call upon him with his Pokeball. When she diverted her inquiries to her, Louise only replied with where Candice intended to escort her for her meal. Defeated, Candice temporarily abandoned her search for answers and focused on the search for a suitable diner. After what happened to Louise's butler, she wanted to compensate for her Abomasnow's violent transgression, and what better way to uplift downcast spirits than a sated appetite?

"Spot a good place yet?" Louise questioned the Gym Leader, voice filled with doubt. She and Garcia had never entered this particular street, much less one of its many restaurants.

Candice smirked at her lack of faith. Her friend may be unfamiliar with the surroundings, but she had been here more than once during her scholarly visits. "Don't worry, we're almost to my favorite place: Sinnoh Steakhouse." She smirked in the recollection of her first visit. Her status as Gym Leader caused many heads to swivel, and her outgoing personality made her a darling to serve.

"A steakhouse? Isn't that a bit pricey?" Louise wondered concernedly, yet her and her butler's chops were already salivating. She had cooked herself steak before, but never in a professional restaurant such as Sinnoh Steakhouse, and was curious to discover the difference.

"Don't worry! I owe you for helping me with my demonstration anyways. This is the least I could offer. What? You never were here before?"

Louise grimaced at the truth. She never had to feed herself with fast food. Through cooperation and compatibility between her and Garcia fed both of them with the groceries she bought weekly. While Garcia initially objected to Louise's involvement, she justified herself by asking him how she will continue to live in solitude if he were to pass away. The notion, while startling to the Pokemon, was understandable and respected her wishes as always.

"I never had to. I have plenty of free time, and I get to learn new recipes. Just because I have money doesn't mean I should squander it."

"Cold logic always fit you best, huh?" Candice chuckled. "Haven't you ever gone splurging, even once since you left the Academy?"

Her question and tone goaded her into answering. An unwise move, but even someone as calm as her can be rattled with the right suggestions. "Hey, even I get lazy sometimes! Like today, I slept in an extra hour today!"

"Come on!" Candice groaned in disbelief. She knew her friend was austere, but to such a degree was absurd! "You call that splurging? You need to do more than that! That's like taking an extra breath mint in a restaurant! "

"Speaking of restaurants, isn't that the place?"Louise pointed to the building, while Garcia's eyes widened in surprise.

The Sinnoh Steakhouse was a large chain, hence the generalized name. Its insignia, a fireplace, was a welcoming sight and especially inviting in the colder regions of Sinnoh such as Snowpoint. It was not difficult to deduce why she favoured the restaurant. A steakhouse that produced many meals consisting of meat was sure to create an abundance of heat, warming the building and its occupants. Warmth also served as a comfort to the weary, and it served as a suitable place to rest as well as reenergize.

"That's the place! Come on, I'm starved!" Her chipper attitude returned, and her walk had included a significant bounce to each step.

"You realize we have an injured man, right?" But Louise's words did not reach her friend's ears. Sighing, she turned to Garcia, who sported a look of surprise. "Sorry, but we're going to have to walk a bit faster."

He did not replace his shocked countenance, and continued to stare at Louise before gazing at his arms, particularly his extended blade.

Unnerved by his stillness, she took a step forward, wrapping one of her arms around his shoulders. She noticed his object of attention and instantly became worried. "Your arms hurt? Is it that bad? I can call a cab. We can go home right now if you want."

Taken aback by this sudden offer, Garcia turned his head away from her. It was a rare occasion for him to be bashful in front of his mistress. He was his servant; he had nothing to covet but her confidentiality. "No, not my arms." He struggled to amalgamate words to converse. "You... called me "man"? I am a Pokemon." He gestured to his left arm, his blade extended but protected with a layer of plaster.

Louise blinked at her butler's words. She had indeed referred to him as "man", something that would definitely raise suspicion and dubiety from others. A Pokemon, no matter how similar to or surpassing a man, was still a Pokemon. They were regarded as below humans, justified by the human's inventions, namely the Pokeball and PokeDex. While not unheard of to relate to Pokemon on a human level, it was rare for them to be as intimate with their Trainers as Garcia was.

"Uh, just a slip of the tongue!" She stammered as a sudden chill crept upon her skin. Desperate for a change in subject, she motioned towards his casts. "I guess having a cast would make it hard to eat, hmm?"

She allowed herself a miniscule smile when his attention was successfully diverted from her earlier error. Garcia lifted his heavy arms to eye-level, and frowned. "I only need one hand." He flexed his right hand's digits to demonstrate.

Louise's smirk widened with mischief at her butler's confidence and clasped his good hand between her own. "We're going to a steakhouse, Garcia. Don't worry. I'm sure we'll find something you can eat with one hand."

...

"Nothing!" Louise slapped the menu onto the table vehemently. "Nothing but steaks? Come on, there's got to be some more variety!" She gave a dejected groan and raised her hand to call a waiter to their table.

"It's a steakhouse, what did you expect?" Candice rolled her eyes and flipped her own menu to the opposite side. "Garcia, you can still eat right?" She turned to the Gallade, expecting a short but bold phrase of agreement.

Garcia did not answer her question for two reasons: he was obligated to answer and obey only the Garnier family, and he was distracted by the baroque interior of the restaurant. The walls and floor reflected incandescent light off its varnish, while the cushioned furniture instigated a sense of comfort and hospitality. From their position, they could see the kitchens past the counter if they craned their necks in the right angle. For privacy, Candice elected the deepest corner of the establishment. An ineffective move, as they were the only customers.

While waiting for the waiter to notice Louise, Candice grinned at his bewilderment. Pokemon were not allowed outside of their Pokeballs when inside private property, but Candice managed to convince the manager to make an exception for the "poor Gallade".

Garcia was not amused by her remark, and neither was the waiter when he arrived to the table. He eyed him suspiciously as if inspecting a fungus, even though his plastered limbs minimized any possible acts of aggression. When Garcia returned the gaze, the waiter briskly ignored him and pulled a pen and notepad from his pocket. "Have you decided on your order?"

After skimming the menu for the last time, Louise handed it to the waiter. "To hell with it. Three specials, please." She was exhausting herself with her own vacillation, and concluded she had made a covetous decision when sighting a large grin appropriated for Candice.

The man did not even write down the order before fetching Candice's menu in tandem and marching to the recondite of the kitchens.

"The man...he does not like me?" Garcia stumbled awkwardly following a moment of silence.

Sensing his discomfort, Louise confronted him. Pokemon or human, no one bullies a friend like Garcia. "Ignore him. He's just looking for an excuse to kick you out."

"Which is why I'm here." Candice pointed to her wide smile. Garcia reluctantly nodded with her meaning. A Gym Leader has a considerable position in the Pokemon League and the region in general. An opinion of one can make a difference between a famous establishment and a meagre satisfactory one.

"Yeah, yeah, rub you social status at our faces. That'll get you a following." Louise muttered, disgruntled by her friend's pride.

"Sorry." Candice let out a couple more snickers before staring at the pair with clasped hands. Louise tensed at her countenance. It was the same leer she gave to Louise after subjugating her assaulters. A fierce surface coveting a deep curiosity. "But seriously," she uttered deeply, depressing her voice to a solid whisper. "Why don't you have his Pokeball? Did you leave it at home because he's a family Pokemon?"

A silence followed the accusation. Both master and butler loathed to answer the question, as it would eventually lead to a tirade of inquiries and insinuations. Garcia turned his eyes to his mistress, while Louise merely groaned and buried her head in her arms. It appeared to be a simple case of bashfulness, but Garcia knew the true gravity behind it.

For the first time Candice saw them, neither one radiated with the positive morale a Pokemon and Trainer should possess. For the first time, they were pathetic.

"Damn..." Now she had just had them recluse further. This was far from producing any results.

It was not long before the waiter returned cradling three plates laden with steaming meat, potato, and a paper cup of water. While the customers remained steadfast until the he evacuated the scene, there was no doubt they were salivating behind secure jowls. Resting his head on the table, Garcia was especially prepared to simply devour, ignorant of his current injuries. Fortunately, he was in public and in the presence of his mistress, so he prevented himself from drawing unnecessary attention, regardless of the otherwise empty restaurant.

Immediately as the dishes were laid out before the group, Candice silently whimpered in temptation while Louise remained professional and focused on the waiter, resistant to inducement. He wore a stoic visage that she could not extrapolate what was beneath it. With his previous ogling of Garcia, she was wary, especially if he had spat on Garcia's plate or worse, poisoned it. While not a Trainer, a good master had to look out for her Pokemon's well-being nevertheless.

The waiter left as swiftly as he arrived, and left the group to their own devices. Candice was already digging her utensils into the cooked Tauros, smirking and even drooling like a wild Pokemon. While slightly repulsed by the Gym Leader's actions, Louise had yet to touch her own serving, instead opting to further inspect Garcia's.

"Miss? What...are you..." Garcia tried to intervene, but leered at her when she carved a meagre potion of his steak and bit into it.

"Louise!" Candice tore her attention away from her dish to look at the pair, baffled. "You have your own, don't mooch off him!"

Despite her support, Garcia did not find her action boorish. He trusted his mistress, just as Louise trusted him with his battle. But now, he was curious as to why she was acting like this.

Louise dropped her cutlery to the table, startled and flustered by her words. "I-I'm not-I'm just checking over his for anything bad! You must have seen how that waiter eyed him!" She kept her volume to a minimal to avoid said waiter's attention from behind the main counter.

Garcia mimed an "Ah" of understanding, refraining from a discernible comment. He had read in his studies that humans can harbor deep grudges, sometimes against the most frivolous of reasons. She must have been exceptionally apprehensive of current events, seeing that she was responsible for the health of her butler. The waiter's pique regarding a Pokemon released in a restaurant was understandable but prejudicial to the reputation of both the restaurant and Louise.

"Fine, fine! Let me just..." Pressured from Candice's incessant glares, Louise urgently sliced another portion of Garcia's serving and held it up to Garcia's mouth. When he gaped in awe, she plunged her fork into the maw.

Immediately, Garcia and Candice struggled to inhale as simmering grilled meat asphyxiated the oxygen from their lungs. Before any of the restaurant staff could witness the Gallade with a fork in his mouth, Louise withdrew it and punctured her own steak.

Alarmed by their outbursts, the waiter ushered himself to their table to assist in any way he could. "What happened, are you choking?" Worry was evident on his visage, but it was directed solely to Candice, who grasped her cup of water.

"They can handle it." Louise commented nonchalantly. She bit into her steak and explained while chewing with contained fervor. "They'll be fine, don't worry."

The waiter hesitated at the cacophony constant sputters of the Gallade, now mixed with rampant gargles from Candice as she attempted to clear her throat with water. It was absolutely plausible the man was simply paralyzed with indecisiveness between helping the Gym Leader or following the famous Garnier's request. After a second of petulance, Louise gave one last glare before he retreated posthaste into the kitchens once more.

With the waiter excused, Louise raised her glass to Garcia's lips, which accepted the cold liquid with gusto. With his jowls and the grilled meat fully lubricated, he swallowed, albeit conflicted with the impulse to regurgitate instead. After the ordeal, he and Candice had a bout of coughs before sinking into the cushioned seats in solace.

"What...the hell...was that?!" Candice's wheezing and periodic gasps to expel panic from her systems were comical to witness, but Louise was sure it was quite contrary to experience it.

Notwithstanding, a smirk forged on her countenance before murmuring her answer. "The damn waiter forgot to give Garcia his own utensils." She gestured to Garcia's plate and Candice's eyes narrowed as indeed, not sign of silver was present. "Calling him out would be awkward."

"Hypocrite!" Candice grunted in response, and coughed into her palm several times before speaking with additional clarity. "Nothing's more awkward than...that!" She raised an accusatory knife to Garcia, reaffirmed to his seat as apathetic as possible with a scarlet tinge to his cheeks.

"His arms are broken, thanks to your Abomasnow. Isn't it logical I feed him myself?" However, even with the callous tone, she felt her skin prickle with embarrassment. Nostalgia temporarily flooded her senses as she recalled her time with her mother in a similar environment. Louise was only five years of age at the time, so she was not aware of any sense of pride or humiliation. The nostalgia was dashed, however, and replaced with insecurity. Garcia was a fully grown and evolved Gallade, and there she was, his master, feeding him akin to an infant! She could not help herself as her hand twitched capriciously so!

"Well..." Candice toiled in her mind for an appropriate phrase, but eventually divulged her thoughts. "Couldn't you have made it any less...rough?"

"What?"

"Don't get me wrong, it wasn't the feeding thing that got me. It was him choking." Candice repositioned herself on her seat as she resumed eating, but not averting her eyes from the pair. "You're taking care of an injured Pokemon. Shouldn't you be, you know, gentle?"

Her explanation left Louise flabbergasted. Her hand had inadvertently caused the fork to shove its way into his throat, abandoning the equipped Tauros meat in the process. It was evident something had caused her to act so capriciously. Throughout her life cohabitating with Garcia, they had no complications with cooperating with each other. She had no need for docility between master and servant. But when she tried to feed him, something overcame her sense and in her haste to reassert dominance in conscience, succeeded in nearly assassinating her butler.

"Uh, I just...I guess..."

"Accident."

Candice and Louise stared at Garcia, is voice intervening his master's. "It was...accident." His visage had abandoned the mild coloration and its regular white returned. Louise returned a quiet thanks before reaching for her glass.

Candice eyed him for another moment before exhaling in defeat and returning to her meal. "Alright, alright. If you say so. But I got to say," She snickered to herself before finishing her sentence. "you look so perfect like that, like lovers!"

It was Louise's turn to choke. After a few moments and a row of violent sputters, she dabbed her mouth with a paper napkin. "What lovers!?" She raised her hand to her mouth, scandalized for her volume and the indecency of the subject. It was as Garcia said; he was Pokemon, not man! She faced the main counter expecting the waiter, but none responded to her shriek.

Candice disregarded her friend's furious demand and turned to a disconcerted Garcia instead, her smirk growing every second. "Well, what do you think? How is your relationship with her going?"

He wanted to wave his hands to say no, but the casts collided with the table, preventing their use. Garcia pensively looked down at his arms, as if hypnotized by their presence, resulting in him ignoring her entirely.

Louise took the opportunity to carve another portion of Garcia's steak and held it up. "Still worried about your arms? If you don't eat, it's not going to get any better." Her tone was more lenient this time, waiting for Garcia to grip the meat himself instead of forcing it into his throat. With her approach now expected, the butler did not hesitate, the majority of his tenseness having subsided.

Candice seemed aware of the atmosphere and promptly abandoned her topic. "Here's a worthwhile question. Why didn't you leave him in the Centre like I did with Abomasnow? If you didn't have his Pokeball, you could have just run to your mansion and back."

Louise took a moment to settle herself from discomfort, and cut into her own steak. "I don't have his Pokeball."

"You told me that. That's why-"

"I don't know where it is." She dropped her silverware and buried her head into her arms, threatening to rip out her hair as she did so.

"What?"

Louise refused to look up. "I said I don't know where it is."

Despite the non-existent psychic abilities, Garcia could sense the turmoil his master was undergoing, and tried to halt her. "Miss-"

"Quiet."

He quieted. When she was as serious as she was now, any further interruptions would have and had resulted with her fist colliding with his head, not as a way of slapstick. He knew from the innumerable bout of frustration she demonstrated during her studies.

"I lost his Pokeball three years ago. A band of thugs, surrounded me while I was walking home from the Academy. They threatened me to hand over my Pokemon. Garcia was the only one I had on hand."

Candice was puzzled by her choice of Pokemon. "Why did you have him with you in the first place?"

"I...I just...I just wanted to show him off at the academy, okay? Besides, he evolved into a Kirlia." She struggled to stomach the guilt of her immature insolence. Ralts was a rare species in Sinnoh, and Louise was so adamant to brag about him. "Anyways! They took him and his Pokeball, but like all hormone-induced boys, they grabbed me. That's when I screamed."

Garcia inconspicuously nodded his head. He could still remember it. It was loud enough to reach the edges of the city, and he remembered how he was nearly deafened by it.

"They ran away, but very luckily, the bystander effect was not on their side, especially after trying to mug a Garnier. The police had an easy time cornering them, but even they couldn't do their jobs right. The thugs ran away from them too, and even though they ditched Garcia, I never did get my Pokeball back."

"So that's why you couldn't machines to heal him." Candice concluded in acknowledgment. The near-instantaneous healing of the Pokemon Centres throughout Sinnoh was achieved through those machines. However, critically injured Pokemon, such as her impaled Abomasnow took a considerable amount of time to recover, and Pokemon without a Pokeball took even longer, having to heal naturally instead of relying on machinery. "But wait. What about that scar, and his single blade? The Gallade have two, don't they?"

Louise freed herself from her hands and stared at her forsaken lunch. It was cold, and the barbeque sauce coagulated, as if the atmosphere from Louise's confession was enough to stiffen their surface tension. She equipped her cutlery and impassively cut another piece of the steak to Garcia. Though reluctant, he bit it off the fork and chewed, the once steaming taste now poorly compensated with cold adhesive. If only he could utilize his hands, he would not have to encumber her like so! She was not in the correct mentality to feed herself, much less her butler!

"A month later, those same thugs attacked me again. But this time, Garcia evolved into a Gallade, and my parents were chaperoning me after their first attack. But they were ready for a fight this time. They were actually poachers, and they wanted Garcia bad. One of them had a knife. They cut his horn so he couldn't perform any psychic-type moves, not that he could. Another broke his arm. My parents protected me and Garcia, but they were outnumbered. They were coordinators, not battlers. At the end, all but two were left."

Garcia could not endure any further. "Miss!"

"Icicle Crash, Incinerate. My mom...dad..." Louise wiped her eyes with a forearm while the other snatched for a napkin.

A heavy thud startled the girls. Garcia had struck the table with his right arm, and Candice could see his hand was coiled into a crude fist. He was not mirroring his mistress's actions, but he choked on his breaths and his arm reverberated the entire table, lurching the cups until they emptied their contents to the floor. His teeth were bared, and his entire visage lost its humane appearance and was substituted with ones of a feral beast.

"They ran away. They, those, they..." Words failed to describe the level of anger, regret, he held for that day. He not only failed his mistress, but his family, twice! What was worse, the criminals escaped both his vengeance and the court of law. If it were not for his arms, states of both past and present, he would have slit his own throat in his reproach.

Candice was nearing to fracturing her stoicism, but kept vigilant. She had to; no one else was in suitable condition to converse with the waiter a third time.

"Something wrong? Is it the Gallade?" His suspicion rising, he leered at the butler, who hung his head to the floor with his arm still supported by the table.

Candice bared her own teeth at his interruption. Did they not instruct modern men with proper etiquette and common sense to vacate a scene with mourning women? She wanted to yell at him to depart, that there was no need for an extra party to intervene. But she knew better. "No. We were just leaving." She rose from her seat and walked over to Louise's side. "Come on, we're getting out of here."

She nodded phlegmatically before rising to her feet, Garcia reiterating her actions. Candice withdrew a wallet from her skirt and dispensed a 2000 and 1000 PokeDollar bill. "Keep the change."

The waiter promptly accepted the bills and marched away. It demonstrated his rapacity for income, but if it meant allowing them to vacate in peace, she would do it. Both Louise and Garcia needed more than privacy.

Exiting the building, Candice tremulously inhaled the cool air, frisking her body for the trip. She had even suppressed her still-existent hunger to ensure Louise's journey back was as placid as possible.

She could not, however, divert her attention from an act of subtlety. Shaking as if hypothermic, Louise constricted Garcia's cocooned arm for support as they walked out, neither of them encumbered. It only made Candice smile when Louise edged closer to his arm, and she restrained her coos when she sighted upturned lips on both of them. After the tensity of their discussions, she could still remember her comment directed at them, and the melancholy seemed to have dissipated after confessing.

The only flaw to the perfect setting was her. She pouted facetiously as she pondered-why could she not have someone to hold onto?

...

**Damn, only two new comments. Oh well, better than nothing.**

**Personally, this is coming along really well, and don't worry, I have the next planned and there will be some fluffy (yet funny!) scenes in it! Unfortunately, at the rate I'm writing, I think I can only update every 2 weeks, so keep this story tracked if you're into it so far!**

**Keep reading, keep reviewing, and keep it up!**


	6. The Humanism & Confessions

Louise remained adhered to Garcia's plaster as the pair walked down the street. Despite her idle appearance, her mentality was afflicted with albatross and hesitation. She was enervated by the day's occurrences and Garcia turned to discern conflict through her eyes. She endeavored to keep her mind vigilant to arrange for the afternoon events unimpeded. She withdrew from her mental depths her butler's translator, and caressed the waistcoat to ensure its continued existence in the layers of cloth. The gadgetry would have to be appointed to an electronics mechanic for the highest possibility of its full restoration. What could she do? She lacked knowledge of one's location in Jubilife, and she was ambiguous of one's existence in the city. She knew Garcia. How he converse, act, formulate. However, even she was baffled at what the Gallade would do with her gift to him damaged, and gave a diminutive groan at her predicament.

It was merely supposed to be a simple battle demonstration for the noon agenda, but it transmogrified into an afternoon of guilt and confessions for Garcia. A battle gone awry was not a complication for him, but he knew it would be a strain on Louise's psyche. Was it not a butler's duty to alleviate his master's worries, not act as its herald? Ten minute prior, she had confessed not only her despondent past, but his as well. How would Candice infer this further? Would she propagate this to the public?

Garcia's palms tightened across his cast when he raised one arm parallel to his visage, its frown deepening. During his rehabilitation, Louise relayed a message from Nurse Joy that after his arm mended, the blade would be amputated. Unlike his musculoskeletal components, his swords were ultimately artificial, and could not ameliorate through any medical means.

He clenched his teeth as he stared at the defunct limb, furious not at the damage, but himself for overestimating his capabilities, which in turn disgraced the Garnier name.

"I know you're angry." If it were not for her benign tone and volume, Garcia would have blink at Louise's sudden approach. While still loyal to his sole master, Garcia faced Louise, still binding his limb with hers. He had witness her countenance on numerous occasions and most recently, her recollection as she inspected the Trophy Room. He held his tongue from questioning and patiently waited for her words. "You're always so angry when you feel like you disappoint me. But..." Louise hesitated at what she was about to say, worried about how Garcia would react. "You didn't. You fought the best you could, and you know it. I can't ask for anything more can I?"

He wanted to say "Yes you can! You are my master. Whatever you need, I will ascertain!" but he held his tongue. Without his translator, most of his words would be nothing but Pokemon jargon. Internally, he knew Louise was correct about his misplaced guilt, and she did not specifically demand a victory did she? Instead, he asked the question of most prominence.

"What now?"

"Go home, and carry on with our lives and smooth as we can. You're right-handed, so you can still read and write. Me, I think I'll retire early for today." Louise smiled at the idea of burying herself in her bed's cushions and cloth. She would locate and contact a mechanic in the morning, and until accomplished, the translator's restoration would take highest priority.

Garcia nodded in approval. His most afflicted left arm was constricted completely with white plaster and his digits were barely manoeuvrable. His right arm was restricted to lesser degree and unlike its counterpart; both its elbow and hand retained its flexibility.

"What is this?"

The couple jumped as their affair was interfered by the Gym Leader. Her countenance was one of prominent mischief. If anyone but Louise analysed her intent, it would have been one of prurience, but she knew her friend was not particularly lascivious aside of teasing and minor temptation. "You're going home, but instead of Garcia, you're the one getting bed rest?"

Louise turned to Candice with indignation. "That's not what I mean. I'm just not in the mood to do anything right now. Garcia is responsible for himself. I'm not his mother."

Despite her explanation, Candice refused to desist. "Be that as it may, you can't expect him to be as self-sufficient as he was before today. You'll...tend to him, right?"

Louise raised an eyebrow at her acquaintance's vulgarity behind her words. While preferring a secluded lifestyle, she knew of the commodities of various Trainers. One in particular was their inclination of Pokemon for applications of obscenity. "You can't be serious? Are you implying I would take advantage of Pokemon under my responsibility?"

"That's one way to put it." Candice abandoned her grin and shoved her hands into pockets while walking beside her, humor gone. For Louise, her capriciousness was a subject of trepidation, and she realized how Candice ascended to a Gym Leader. "But mostly how people may try to...come onto you, now that your butler's injured."

"You think I might get attacked again?"

"Very likely." Candice depressed herself to a whisper. Despite merely past 5 o'clock, the October nightfall arrived early to dampen sight and awareness. "Those poachers came looking for you twice. Haven't you ever thought they would come for you a third time?"

Louise skimmed her fingers across Garcia's cast as she placed her own hands in her pockets. "Yeah, at first. But then I just thought they might have run away. They killed people. If I killed someone, I think I would do the same thing." Self-exile was always preferable over imprisonment or even execution, even if it stemmed to a life of secrecy. At least one could disguise oneself or adopt an alias.

"But you're not them, and I doubt you're ever going to be like them." Candice assailed her, her expression altering from one of cold solemnity to anxiety. "I'm sorry if I'm unnerving you," She did not wish to say "scare" for the risk of denial or further conversation from a restive Louise. "but they may be still around. Don't they say the criminal always return to the scene of the crime? Maybe they're just biding their time until you go out alone at night or something like that."

Louise could not cease her trembles as she spoke. "You, you think I'm still in danger?"

Candice nodded, ignoring the fact this question was asked once before not five minutes ago. "Maybe. No way to know for sure, but if you are I might be able to help you. In more ways than one."

"You think you can find out about those poachers?"

"Yeah, and...if this doesn't sound too awkward," Candice staggered as her throat appeared to have inflamed, obstructing air from forming into words. "if you think you need any, I mean, maybe you want...protection?"

Louise perceived her friend's delays in speech and dispensed a chuckled. Despite the sobriety of the situation, she could not resist revenge for the Gym Leader. "Oh my. Candice Suzuna, are you coming onto me? How bold, but expected!"

Garcia heeded his master's words and was indecisive in whether a laugh or an outburst was most appropriate. He compromised by coughing several times into his hand.

Candice groaned at the anticipated remark, and silently struggled to efface her cheeks of red. She liked her friend, but not to such a level! "You know I don't mean it like that! I'm serious, you know!"

"That's a welcome change of pace!"

"That doesn't mean you can slack off!" Candice returned. "I cannot stress enough. We need to stay on our guards. You never know when they might attack again."

"I don't know." Louise decreased her humor to a gentle grin. Regardless of the insufficient amount of dinner to satisfy her, a wave of sudden languor spread through her as if she sampled a smorgasbord. She had no energy to raise her voice above speaking volume. "It's true Gallade is rare, but they're mostly known for their swords. I know some Pokemon like the Mamoswine were poached for their tusks and other variations, but with both of Garcia's swords broken, I don't see how he'll attract poachers."

Garcia nodded in agreement. His horn was scarred, so he could not utilize psychic-type moves, and his blades were decommissioned. What value could a handicapped Pokemon possess?

Candice thought otherwise. "You still, you..." She griped the air while searching for the correct words to reprimand Louise with. "Don't you get it? This isn't about the Gallade, it's you!"

Louise blinked several times, alarmed by her sudden rage. "What about me?"

"You're a Garnier, remember?!" She dropped her voice to a frantic whisper to avoid detection from any bystanders. "Your name attracts attention past the regular thug! Once you turn of age, you inherit everything your parents left you. Sure, the entire city treats you like any other girl, but think of the trouble you could get in after you leave for your journey!"

Gradually but surely, the implications penetrated her conscience and lodged itself into her mind. She was right. Excessively melodramatic, but right. While not especially rich as say, Wallace, the Garnier were a prominent member of the Coordinating society, and her mother and father accumulated an amount of wealth others would vivaciously covet for themselves. This was the reason she wished for the journey, so that she would not be easily discovered for kidnapping and ransom. If caught outside of familiar environment, however...

"Oh crap."

She would be exposed, relatively defenceless against a number of assaulters. No one would help her, and she would be abducted for purposes exceeding monetary.

Before Louise could raise a personal bedlam in the revelation, Candice grasped her shoulders to reprioritize her focus to the Gym Leader.

"But that's why I want to help." Candice's eyes exhibited her heartfelt passion for Louise, startling her with her vigor. "Here's my proposal. When's your birthday again?"

"Friday, t-two weeks from n-n-now." Louise could not arrest her timidity at her questioning, fearful that any abnegation would culminate in manhandling.

"For the two weeks, try not to leave your house late at night. If you're still planning to leave for your journey, then, if you want, call me. It's unwise to journey solo, and you never know what you might find on the way to Sandgem."

Loiuse and Garcia blinked in confusion. This was not the Candice they were familiar with. She was supposed to be humorous and offering buttress, not stern and didactic. Louise attempted to recover and deliver a response while her butler remained silent to process her words through the rapidity of their utterance.

"What are you, my mother?"

Candice narrowed her eyes. "I'm serious about this. I wouldn't be escorting you like this if I wasn't, and again, you never know what's going to happen. Let's hurry home." She released her grip from Louise and turned around to resume walking.

Garcia, who has been behaving as an unnecessary third party in the conversation, did not know what to think or say. Indecisive in the most appropriate course of action, he coiled Louise's fingers between his, heat diffusing through their touch as she was roused from her stupor and snapped her head to face him. Immediately, a light shade of crimson formed on her face from his sudden advancement. Garcia was only further concerned by her reaction. Candice's harangue must have overwhelmed her senses and mind if it were to distress her to such a degree.

"Miss?"

Louise rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn, dismissing her flushed face and smiling at her recovery. She did not desire to delay their return any more. "Sorry. I guess I'm just tired. Let's hurry and go home." She rewrapped her hand around Garcia's and pulled him towards Candice, just as ardent for rest.

"Oh, and by the way." The Gym Leader inquired, adopting a sudden benign tone. Louise and her butler were grateful for the abortion of her temporary austerity, but the former was aware it was not without a personal rationale.

"Can I stay in your house for the night? With the subway train, it would take at least six hours back, and you would not believe how early I had to wake up to get here on time."

Garcia did not require an astute knowledge of inferring to summarize his mistress's thought on the request. He covered his mouth his hand to repress any laughter at Louise's reaction. To save as much face as possible, she briskly recovered and presumed her typical stoicism. However, she covertly thanked Candice for her return to usual demeanor, and was delighted to comply.

With a defeated yet content simper, she relented. "You're just looking for any excuse to crash my place, aren't you?"

...

Her smile enlarged every second as Candice spun around to inspect every crook of the main hall. "I swear, this place gets bigger every time I come here!" Her laughter reverberated off the walls as she devolved into skipping across the burnished flooring in jubilation.

"You're always like this whenever you visit, haven't you had enough?" Louise marched up to her with composure, masking happiness at her own with annoyance.

"It's a hell of a lot better than my place!" Candice mused while adoring the Trophy Room. Louise sighed as she tried to shepherd her to her usual room.

Garcia exhaled to prevent audible chuckles from escaping. The scene was already prepared in his mind and is being re-enacted as he repositioned himself beside Louise. He saw their routine enough for it to be comedy. First, Louise would drag her by the arm while Candice examines the halls. Second, she would lead her to her usual room. Finally, Louise herself would prepare for sleep in her own chamber. Garcia would rest in his own room. After his Pokeball was stolen, Louise was quick to accommodate his new form of maintenance post-depression.

"Well, are you sleeping or not? I want to get to bed ASAP." Her vigor vanished when they approached Candice's room, unlike her fatigue. The walls were painted white as was the rest of the mansion's interior, but decorated with numerous paintings. The red rug and blanket was a welcome contrast to the regular bland ceramic of the mansion, and that was what convinced Candice for the room. Bradley and Seras originally assigned this room as Louise's when she was an infant, but after she matured, the entire family spent their leisure in renovating it into a guest room.

"But, Garcia, what are you going to do? You're not going to bed so early?" Candiced sat on the mattress, crossing her legs and flexing her visage in ponder.

The butler shook his head. "No." He scanned the room for a clock, and read 6:25. "Too early. Study."

"Study?!" She leapt off her bed and placed her hands over her head as if afflicted with a headache. "You're a Pokemon! How, no, what can you possibly-"

"English." Louise interrupted her and nodded at Garcia in acknowledgement. He bowed to the best of his capability while incapacitated and exited the room. His master closed the door behind him and anger spread across her countenance.

"What the hell are you thinking, blurting that out like that?!" She whispered so that her butler could not hear her through the walls, but her voice echoing in the room only made it louder to her ears. "He's not your regular Pokemon, he's my butler!"

"Sorry sorry!" Candice raised her hands in defence and mercy. Her appreciation for reproach however, did little to quell Louise. "I just thought that maybe he was tired too!"

Louise inhaled several times to compose herself. Candice noticed her sensitivity to the issue and remained silent for her to recollect. Despite encroaching her friend in turmoil, she took the chance to inquire further. "So... if I may be blunt...he's just like a human being."

"What?" It was the last thing anyone could have said in regards to Garcia. Why would she say such a thing? Everyone saw the duo as Trainer and Pokemon, master and servant at utmost. Was she trying to comfort her? To coax her into reaccepting her and forsake her previous comment?

However, after reassessing her statement, she nodded in compliance. "Hey...you're right. He's just like us. Bipedal, fingers, reads, writes, speaks. He's just like a person." She paused, formulating her next sentences in her mind before speaking. "But, what does that mean? He's more human than Pokemon? I always just saw him as a person and butler, not a Pokemon, so I don't know what to think."

"So that's why you're so overprotective about him during our battle." Candice denuded her mattress of its blanket and sat on the white cloth. Despite this, she never broke her sight from Louise as she wrapped herself with the blanket. "You don't just see him as a butler and a Pokemon, but a human being. But now with his arm broken, he can't exactly fight like a proper Gallade, right?" Her drowsiness gave her a sagely appearance, even if it was unintended.

"Yeah, with both swords and arms broken, his horn damaged, he won't be able to fight for a while. And even if he could, it won't be like he used to fight." Realizing what she said, she shook her head to rid her mind of her pessimism. "But what does that mean for him? Will people see him as a broken Pokemon or an injured person?"

"So what? Both are animals in the end, no?"

Louise shook her head, this time in disagreement. "That's not what I mean. Everyone sees Pokemon as below them, and they probably should. But what happens when they realize Garcia can act like any other humans?" The difference and similarity of Pokemon and humans was a popular topic of controversy and debate. Other than wearing clothes and being Louise's Pokemon, only she and Candice knew about Garcia's true nature. "It can really change how they look at me and Garcia."

"That's not true." Candice gestured to herself. "Take me for example. I saw Garcia writing rather fluently in the hospital and I was startled, but I got over that fast. I just mean that...I think he might be a better person than a Pokemon now."

"What are you suggesting?" Louise's sarcasm was indisputable in both posture and tone. "I tell the Pokemon League to give my butler human rights?"

"No, but I want to see that!" Candice chuckled to her humor and further dug herself into the folds of the blanket. "But enough talk. Didn't you say you were sleepy?"

"Oh yeah. Thanks for the reminder. I still need to put Garcia's vest in his room, and I'll get right to bed." Her languor returned as Candice spoke. She opened the door and stepped outside with a quick utterance of "Good night."

With only herself occupying the room, Candice sighed in refreshment as she cocooned herself with the blanket.

Unfortunately, there was a single discomfort to her situation.

"Crap, I should have asked her to turn off the lights. I really don't want to get out of bed, but..." She liberated herself from her blankets and dragged herself across the mattress. Her endeavors were encumbered with annoyance, but she eventually descended from the furniture.

Unfortunately, her lethargy caused her visage to first impact the ground.

...

Louise woke with a moan. Her mind enforced her body to return to slumber, but it was not as simple as she assumed. Her eyes were parched, resulting in a combination of itchiness and the sensation of inflammation. Her limbs ached when she attempted to move any of them, and in general, felt as if she had her extremities were crushed between lead weights the entire night. Despite all this, she managed to voice her complaints.

"Damn...how long was I sleeping? I don't feel like shit this badly unless I get too much sleep." Her lethargy was a common cause to her vulgarity, but without Garcia to advise her against it, she paid no heed. She reached out blindly to grasp at her bedside clock. Red numbers illuminated the screen and her eyes as she rubbed the latter to better peruse the time.

"Or I don't get enough sleep. What the hell made me wake up now of all times?"

After attempting and failing to return to languish, a soft hiss penetrated her ears, causing her to stop and focus on the sound. The source of it was nearby, possibly adjacent to her room.

Burglars and other intruders were the first she conceived. Her hands were trembling and clammy as she shed her blankets. Should she inform the authorities? She advised herself against it, claiming that she had yet to know the identity of the noise. Once she discovers a suspicious figure looming around the estate, she would contact the local police via C-Gear. Until then, she would refrain from heedlessly calling for help.

She exposed the hallway and glanced through the gap she made. It was dark, but she saw light seeping through the door parallel to hers. It was the restroom.

Who could be using the restroom at 11 o'clock? She listed the names of occupants in her mind. Not an arduous task, as there was only two inhabitants. Candice was likely but she had visited the mansion enough times to memorize the settings and use a restroom within closer proximity. However, Garcia was the most likely as his bedroom was adjacent to Louise's, and she could constantly detect the sound of objects clattering within.

She slapped her forehead at her naiveté. Her butler was in there attending to his needs, but how could he if he was restrained by his injuries? What kind of Trainer, a human being was she if she would not reciprocate his services?

She struck her cheeks to rouse her consciousness and expel fatigue. Her head flushed with blood as she walked out of her bed, careful not to let a single footstep be audible. She raised her hand to the door and opened it with a flourish. She knew every door in the building would creak as they moved on their hinges, and opening one as fast as possible was to most effective solution to avoid detection.

She raised her hand to knock on the door several times, gently as she could to not arouse fear into the room's occupant. "Garcia? Are you in there?"

Another clatter of objects falling to the ground. "Y-yes, miss."

Suddenly, she envisioned her butler in the room, flustered as he sometimes would be whenever she humored. She smiled the thought, and continued her questioning. "Are you okay in there? You're dropping a lot of stuff, and I don't want you to break anything. Need some help?"

A panicked "No, no!" was the response.

Louise frowned at his blatant deceit. She was cranky from lack of rest, and she was not ready to be repudiated by him. This was, legally, her estate after all, and he swore himself into her servitude! "Don't lie to me like that. I don't care what you're doing in there, but whatever it is, the noise you've been making woke me up, and I'm not going to sleep until you finish!" Her cheeks heated as she realized what she just stated. It sounded as if Garcia was tending to hormonal matters, but she knew he was not affected as humans were by growth.

Another moment of silence. "Come in miss."

She opened the door, and it took her several moments to process the scenery from her eyes to her brain. At first glance it appeared normal. Garcia was naked and washing himself in the restroom' shower stall. The showerhead ejected water from the wall, thoroughly drenching Garcia. His normally prim hair now hung over most of his face, covering one red eye. To protect his casts from dampening and being damaged, Garcia had somehow shielded them with plastic shopping bags and fastened them over his arms with various rubber bands. Unfortunately, they were problematic in applying shampoo to his disheveled hair, reducing the traction of his fingers and the bottle. Louise deduced washing his hair had occupied him the longest to accomplish; copious streams of white tainted the ceramic floors, along with bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and other miscellaneous items scattered about.

Noticing her shock, Garcia scampered to retrieve and replace the containers onto the proper racks beside him. "Sorry! Sorry, I will clean!"

Without even realizing, she knelt beside him, mirroring his movements. "No, let me!"

Both were so absorbed by their instincts that before she could halt herself her forehead collided with his. Retaining their congruency, they clutched their heads with their hands in pain as they recovered from the shock.

Resuscitating first, Garcia held Louise's shoulder to comfort. "Miss?"

Distraught with her affliction, she allowed his sudden approach onto her. "I'm fine, I'm fine! I just, damn, that hurt!"

Garcia growled in self-loathing. He should have studies his oral practises more extensively before he even attempts to wash himself. In times like this he wished he was more fluent in language. Without his translator, he was as fluent as a juvenile.

"Miss please, let me!" He grasped the nearest bottle with both his arms and placed in onto the first shelf.

By this moment, Louise recovered completely and followed suit. As the duo went about their task, Louise culminated the information in her mind and envisioned the situation. After Candice and Louise went to sleep, Garcia infiltrated the bathroom and struggled to wash himself with his damaged appendages. In his endeavors, he toppled the various sanitation products in the shower stall and caused her to wake up.

"What were you trying to do, anyways?" Louise inquired to make certain of his purpose here.

"Washing. Dirty after battle. Hard." Garcia returned succinctly.

Louise could have slapped herself at her overlook, fueled with guilt. Her butler had volunteered, from his free will, to fight in her stead, withstood immense pain from his journey to the Pokemon centre, had a sparse amount of Tauros for dinner, and helped escort Louise plagued with sleep. Of course he would have to wash himself afterwards. What kind of master was she?

She redoubled her efforts and with both of them prone on the ceramic, they accomplished their tidying in seconds. The shampoo and conditioner on the floor had to be cleansed with nearby toilet paper, but it was not a difficult process. After disposing the damp tissues in a bin, Louise commandeered the situation, tired as she was.

"Alright, now that we're done, get in the stall now."

Garcia turned to her with disbelief. "Miss? Why?"

"You said you were going to wash, and you're not washed. Are you going to let me help or not?"

After a moment of hesitation, Garcia relented with a quiet "Yes."

Louise steeled herself before approaching him. They were all alone, it was night time, and the humidity of the previously active shower was beginning to make her sweat. "Here, show me your arms." Garcia extended them, and Louise first jerked the plastic bags on them up to his shoulders. She thought herself lucky for storing her used shopping bags as she now ameliorated the rubber bands anchoring them to his arms.

At this point, she could no longer resist the temptation and, before she could reactivate the shower, abandon her black dress shirt, leaving only a white camisole to guard her torso. "Sorry, but it's just getting way to hot in here."

Garcia noticed her increased skin exposure, and tried to avert his eyes from ogling. Unfortunately for him, she immediately noticed his abash nature.

"Oh, get a hold of yourself. You've seen me in my underwear tons of times. Besides, we're washing you, not me. Now get on your knees. You're way too tall for me to wash you properly." Again, the innuendo was heeded and she blushed harder than before, the humidity only amplifying her embarrassment. She diverted her emotions by reaching for the nearest bottle of shampoo and initiating the shower.

Luckily for her, the showerhead could be detached from its holster to soak the more concealed areas such as the privates and the joints. However, in this situation, it would help Louise aim the water directly onto Garcia's scalp with minimal excess. After his scalp was thoroughly damp, she deactivated the shower and opened the bottle for lather.

While she delved her fingers between his follicles, she attempted to rouse him into conversing to pass the time. "What were you thinking, trying to wash yourself without help? You're smarter than that." It was not the most recommended of topics and her tone was not the most hospitable, but the moment unnerved her enough to fluster her into such as state.

Garcia shuffled on spot before responding. "You were tired."

"So you didn't want to bother me? That's not that good a reason. Right now, I'm cranky from lack of sleep. You know how pissed I can be from that. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She brushed away bubbled that dangerously trickled down his forehead, worried that they might intrude the eyes into discomfort.

Silence.

"Answer me. Did you have any other reasons why you came here by yourself?" She truly was tired of his incessant silence. Her voice turned toxic in an instant, and he wrapped his fingers around his cast, regret and fear pooling in his guts.

"You...I don't..." Garcia gave a muffled snarl before properly responding. "I don't want to be useless." Now was not the time to falter, and he pressed onwards with a surprisingly fluent sentence. "Miss and Candice talked about how I was a broken Pokemon, but even if I am either that or an injured person, I don't want you to think of me like that, and I can take care of myself but I also want to take care of you and how can I do that if I can't take care of myself?!"

Louise's arms dropped from his scalp. It was the longest sentence he ever said, but that was not the only marvel. She could feel tears welling on her eyelids, but neither she nor Garcia paid heed, the latter having faced away from her to offer better positioning for her washing. He overheard, unintentionally, she was certain, their discussion through the walls and was debating about it himself.

"Serving you, and the family, that was the only reason why I stayed, why I was happy to. A servant does not encumber his master, they relieve them. How can I serve you if I am an encumbrance like so?"

Garcia clenched his teeth to restrain himself as lather stained the walls. Louise had struck the centre his head with a fist to both silence him and relieve her emotions. Tears were flowing freely from her face now, but he refrained from looking in her direction. Initially it was her cheeks, but now her entire body was boiling and prickling as she cupped her fist. She swallowed a sob from escape and let silence envelop the room before proceeding to reprimand.

"You think you're my servant? Than listen and obey." Her voice was void of any emotion and its gravity was unmistakable. "You will never call or think of yourself as a servant of mine, from this point. If you want to serve me like one, that you have all the rights to, but never refer to yourself as my servant, understand? Answer me."

His injury was recovering and replaced with a numb sensation as Garcia curled his hands into fists again. With no other option and compromise for his dealing with her, he nodded and returned a quivering "Yes, miss."

"Drop the miss, for the last time."

"Yes...Louise."

Before he could finish his response, he felt her body pressed to his back, and her arms wrapped in an embrace. None of these mattered to him as his entire physique was insensate with shock. It was not her touch that alarmed him, but her sounds. She situated her head to his left shoulder, tainting her visage with white lather. He could not ascertain her sobs through touch alone as her tears were unnoticeable on his back, but her cries were perfectly audible next to his ear.

He did not know what to do to absolve her depression, but even if he knew, he could not act on it with his arms held to his sides by her own wrapped around him. This was exactly what he meant. Was a servant not meant to alleviate his master's tension, not stress it further?

"Don't you... ever...hk!" Louise tried to harden her integrity for her show of weakness, but it only dismantled her ego further. "You're, hk! Not my servant! You're not, hk! My Pokemon, hk! Either!"

Garcia was beginning to suffocate in her hold, but remained patient for his master. She was admonishing him and regardless of emotional state, he strained to hear every word.

"I'm not...I'm not, hk! I'm not doing this because I feel obligated to as you're, hk! Master." Her cries of anguish lessened and she could speak without a break in her sentences. "I'm not doing this...because I feel you're my responsibility. I'm doing this because...because..."

Louise halted, scared of what to say. Her mind was blank, her lips were dry, and her butler was close enough for her to kiss. On his lips even! She squeezed her arms tighter, extorting a gentle grunt from him, but she could not stop herself if she wanted to. What could she say to him without causing her body to redden in embarrassment?

"Because a lot of things!" She finally whispered the words she deemed most appropriate. But just like Garcia, her words scrambled out like children exiting the School doors. "You walked the entire day with broken arms, barely had dinner, escorted me home and even prepared yourself for shower! You think these are expected of you? They're not!"

"You fought for me, even though you had absolutely no reason to, other than because of my own blunders and you could have rejected the chance and save your health! But you, you saved me from making a fool out of myself, and you almost won, too, with only one sword! Doesn't that deserve any praise?

"And now look at you, speaking full sentences. I never thought you could do it so soon! Do you have any idea how proud I am right now? Not just that, but now, I won't have to search for a technician to repair your translator!"

"I'm doing this not because you're my butler, my Pokemon, my servant, or my anything! I'm doing this because I love you for who you were for me always. I want the Garcia that smiles whenever he makes me coffee in the morning, proud to serve the Garnier family and clean the mansion on his own discretion, but still have the attitude to tease me whenever I screw up. Not someone that hides in shame that he had to resort to washing himself at night like now! After all you've done for me, do you still think that you are a bother to me?"

She shivered in sudden cold as her arms remained coiled. She placed her face to his back again, her face now drenched with water, tears, and mucus. She loosened her grip on Garcia until her arms fell to her sides.

After such an extended exposure of his wet skin, he began to tremble as well, reminding him of the Abomasnow's point-blank Blizzard attack. But now was not a time to reminisce. It was time to comfort.

Slowly and gently, he shifted his knees so that he was still supported by them and his forelegs, but now he was facing her. It was a pitiful sight. Her long black hair curtained most of her countenance, bubbles coagulating on her skin and coiffure. Despite her lavish clothing, she presented the impression of an abandoned orphan or a lost child. Garcia mentally slapped himself. That was exactly what she was right now!

He reached for her left hand and endeavored to keep a firm grip on it with hands wrapped in wet plastic. Now he had to restrain himself from breaking down into tears as well, but looked up and into her eyes as best he could through her hair. "I am...I am sorry. I am sorry! I am so sorry for realizing this now, and your distress tonight. But we have two more prominent matters at hand."

Louise sensed the urgency in his words, and knew he regained his composure. It was rare for her to break down into tears. The last time this occurred was when she was preparing for the Academy exams and battles. Not wanting to be unaware of the situation, she assuaged her own cries and trembling and brushed her hair and suds away from her face in tandem with her tears. That atmosphere, calm, and the mischievous meaning behind his warnings. He was returning to his old self already, and Louise was grateful for the reformation.

"Yes, what are they?" she asked with a smile.

He mirrored the gesture. "First, you have stopped washing me."

She giggled lightly at his suggestion and slapped his lathered head playfully. Her melancholy dissipated rapidly, and their smiles widened in result. "Right, right. And the second?" she inquired as she reached for the faucet.

Garcia sighed in defeat. The second issue would aggravate her instead of alleviating, but he still wished to serve her and she deserved to know what was happening.

"You may not realize it from your position, but our houseguest is spying on us."

Louise did not require turning around. She rotated the faucets to maximum level before blindly but precisely aiming the shower nozzle behind her, extorting a loud "Fuck!" from Candice.

...

**Long chapter is long, and why it took me over 3 week to upload it. I am SO sorry for the late update!**

**But this was really emotional for me to write. I never wrote a story, nor imagined before this story's conception what it feels like to feel emotions as a female, but I reckon I did a good job. Tell me how you think I did (especially the female readers, if there are any females that read this kind of stuff.)**

**Anyways, I'll try to upload another chapter before the end of the winter break, and then, I won't be able to upload because I have to prepare for my exams. Sorry, but education before entertainment.**

**Finally, since it's too late to say Merry Christmas, I'll just say this: HAPPY NEW YEAR!**


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